Senior Bowl Notes

Watson, Jon Scott, D’Brick, Eric Winston, and McNeil have sounded good. Same with Greenway, I think he will go in the top 12 though.

I think DeAngelo Williams may be one of the best players in the draft when all is said and done. I watched him in college and hes a real good looking prospect for a team looking for a RB.

Watson makes a lot of sense to me. These big physical guys are probably as rare as good pass rushing edge players. Perfect fit here. If Dallas can land Greenway and Watson .. it will be a very good draft. They may have to trade up twice to get both of them. Carpenter is a good fit as well, but because of the number of juniors declaring early, Greeway (a guy who was slightly out ofreach) is now on the Cowboys radar.

Raf,

You saw my 3 options with our #1?

1. Trade up to get Ferguson
2. Jump Philly and grab Greenway
3. Stay put and select Carpenter or Simpson

What do you think? Then with our 2nd we draft Watson (probably trade up) or select Jon Scott.

eric r
trading our first and ellis or glover enough to move up to get ferguson???

We’ll be moving down in the draft if anything, not up.

i think we will take an OLB with the first pick like Manny Lawson and then a tackle with the second rounder

Eric,

I think they stay and take the best OLB available. The Star-Telegram (or was it the DMN) mentioned Carpenter and Huff as stay up options today. Nothing like being four months ahead of the press.

And yes, if he were available, Watson would be great value at two. But if he keeps up his week, he’ll make himself a lot of money.

caramda dejen a romo o henson jugar.

lou c:

Eric Winston got tossed around badly in the 1-on-1 drills today. There’s talk he will drop to a 2nd day pick because he looked bad last season after missing most of the year before because of a knee injury. McNeil we’ve already talked about a lot because of his medical issues. Big risk.

I agree about DeAngelo Williams. He reminds me alot of Barry Sanders for some reason. He even looked really good in the blitz blocking drills today. He may turn out to be a better all-around RB than Bush in the NFL.

Eric R:

I agree with your draft analysis. The only thing is we’d have to give up too much to get Ferguson, and Greenway’s stock is soaring and he is likely out of reach too. He’s right behind Hawk and ahead of Ryans and Hodge at the moment. I have a feeling we are going to end up with Carpenter because I am not sure if BP wants to take the risk of converting another pass rushing DE into an OLB. I just hope his injury doesn’t bite us later on. It would have been nice to have him healthy for the Senior Bowl. Simpson I don’t know enough about. He sounds good from what I’ve heard.

Watson looked VERY good today. He was pushing all the OL’s around at will it seemed like. I’m assuming if we draft a NT that means we will have traded Glover, so hopefully whichever NT can be had with the (presumed) pick we receive in trade compensation. The only questions I have with Watson is his work ethic and his play in actual games. I am going to be watching him close this week though because he’s quite a specimen. With the 49ers, Browns, and Dolphins all drafting ahead of us and running 3-4 defenses he could go off the board earlier than we thought on the first day.

Sterling,

I have watched a few Michigan games this year and Watson made quite a few plays on the other side of the line of scrimmage. He is a guy that I have been promoting here for a while. .. Greenway is a 10-15 selection from what I have been seeing on draft boards, and the price to nab him away from Philly wouldn’t be so high. I can see us trading with Baltimore if he is still on the board when its their turn to select. .. I had liked the idea of staying put and getting Carpenter, but his injury, and the fact that Greeway has fallen a bit, makes me believe that Greenway in a Cowboy uniform next year may be the better option.

Eric R:

I’d love to see Greenway in a Cowboys uniform too!! The thing is he hasn’t fallen, he has gone up the boards. He looked outstanding today in the drills I saw him in, and because DeMeco Ryans is dropping Greenway could be taken by the 49ers to replace Julian Peterson if he leaves as a FA and Hawk is already off the board to the Packers. DeMeco Ryans looked really slow in the drills I saw him in today, and he also had trouble shedding blocks. I actually felt bad for him when I saw him get locked up and drove by little DeAngelo Williams in the blitz pickup blocking drill with the RBs. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ryans drop to the bottom of the 1st round or lower unless he turns it around. Greenway looks like a Top 10, so fluid and instinctive. You can etll by how he moves he’s a great athlete.

I only saw Ohio State/Michigan (when Carpenter got hurt), and Nebraska/Michigan Alamo Bowl this year. I didn’t really notice Watson standing out to me in either game, but I have heard he is good against the run which is what we need him for. As long as he can collapse the pocket, command a double team, and is good against the run that works. The reason I would like to see more game footage of him is because he’s such a big guy and he probably wears down badly during the course of a game. He looked great in the 1-on-1 drills today, but he also got to rest a lot in between while the other DL’s were doing their thing.

Interesting reading this guy from NFL Draft Countdown’s notes from today’s practices. He said the Chargers spent time talking with Mercedes Lewis and Kamerion Wimbley. I wonder if they might be interested in having the two receiving TE duo that we were discussing in the other thread? Having a 4-3 weakside LB or a DB have to choose between covering either Witten or the other good receiving TE would really cause defenses problems.

Also, considering they drafted Merriman last year and have a 3-4 defense, I wonder if their interest in Wimbley might be to have that dual pass rushing OLB threat. He’s projected to be a 3-4 tweener because of his size, which is almost exactly the same as Ware, and he is very fast.

Does drafting Gabe Watson make everyone think Glover is def gone? The reasons that I could see no is if Glover is moved to DE (i doubt), or if you think about it, Pepper Johnson is not our future NT, and Glover and Fergunson are 30+.

EricR,

Why so concerned about Carpenter’s ankle? From what I understand he was invited to the Senior Bowl and waited until the last minute before he pulled out, leading me to believe he’s not far from 100%.

It doesn’t sound like a career threatening injury. He didn’t need surgery on it. My guess is that he’s being extra careful. Trying to come back too soon and looking bad Senior Bowl week can cost you a fortune.

Raf,

I don’t know if you can look back at your archives from last year, but didn’t we pass on everyone that we interviewed at the Senior Bowl last year? I seem to remember alot of names thrown around at various positions that made me scratch my head, but in the end we made solid picks.

I don’t know about interviews, altercall, but the reports I read were that Parcells spent a lot of time watching and talking to Marcus Spears. And he’s a Cowboy now.

I know I wanted a CB last year…..but seeing A Henry for 8 games is enuff. If he is healthy for 16 we don’t need to spend money and first day pick on FS. We need OLB maybe MLB immmediately…..and eventually an NT. Offensive line is a first day need also.

Before Henry’s injury……..WARE recorded more sacks……..cuz Roy was more aggressive around the line of scrimmage……and Henry and TNEW were two of if not the best cover and tackling corners in the NFL. Davis got caught staring into the backfield and cheating on the run a few times……so did pro bowler Roy….but we ain’t crying for another SS in the draft…….Bierault is yet to take the field in regular season……I think he can get into the mix….and make last years draft a tomahawk slam dunk……yeah i know he looks more like an SS but Lynch plays FS last time I looked at 6-2 220……Bierault 6-2 200.

TNEW was pro bowl just overlooked…..Henry was on his way prior to injury……Roy went again…..another first day to that mix plus Aaron Glenn and Reeves??? Give me another mean OLB so teams cannot just stack a TE on Ware and kill our Pass Rush like the did the 2nd half of the season……also…..move the guy around Left side ride side over the Guard……let the O know he is coming and see if they can stop him…..

Name a pro bowler from the Secondary……..other than Everson Walls……..off the top of your head……that played on those great defenses the Giants had.

I cannot quickly…..but I sure remember names like Carson, Taylor, Banks, Marshal, and Burt. Along with a guy on the other side of the line named Jumbo. At any rate…..that front 7 was vicious. I think we got potential with what we got……..but Ware and James need another guy on the end. Now maybe Thornton is or maybe he ain’t but throwing another high round LB in a 4 LB corp every down…..sure makes sense to me.

Bill go ahead and hire Palmer so you can get down to the Senior Bowl and have another slam dunk of a draft…..besides we never know when it will be your last one. But you will leave a legacy after you are gone……one that fills up the other hand with Rings!!!!

I don’t care who we get…….I hope Bill has another round that continues the youth movement and finds a few gems on the 2nd day as well. They are always there……..hech Everson Walls was a walk on at Grambling and a undrafted “walk on” Free Agent for Landry’s Cowboys…….and by all righs should be in the HOF!!! How many interceptions did that guy have anyway?

One thing that seems clear is that BP leaves the teams he coached in better shape than when he took over. Primarily because he knows how to evaluate personnel. I hope that above all, JJ has realized his own VERY LIMITED ability to pick talent, i.e. he is not the “football guy” he thinks he is. If JJ has learned anything from the BP-JJ “relationship” I hope he will value BP’s abilities in that area and offer him a ton of money to remain as a consultant (one he will listen to) after BP decides to retire again.

JJ was one of the driving forces behind the current parity in the NFL. I believe that the salary cap was something he fought for. Perhaps the salary cap was inevitable, but can you imagine how many championships Dallas would have won if there was no cap and we still had J Johnson and his coaching staff and their ability to pick players?

I agree that the addition of a solid OLB, NT or OT would make sense, but big plays cost us several games this year. I would like to see the Cowboys get a valuable FS on day one (not round 1) if possible. I have mentioned Dwayne Slay, but his speed is suspect and his coverage skills are not well known plus he projects as more of a SS. However, having a killer like him in the secondary can strike fear in opposing WRs (can you say aligator arms). I think Huff will go too early for Dallas to have a chance at him and while Bing is considered a great cover guy who hits hard, he is injury prone. Perhaps Ko Simpson might be available, he has the right speed and coverage skills as well as the physicality.

Jon:

You got it. I think most everyone here agrees. To have the 3-4 work properly, the whole trick is to have TWO OLB’s that can rush the QB on any given play. Not just the strong side or weak side, but either of them or even both could be coming. That’s what messed Payton Manning up so bad against the Patriots all those times, and that’s what the Steelers have done to Plummer, Manning, and Carson Palmer this postseason. If you only have one OLB that is a good pass rusher off the edge then the offense can scheme around that too easily with the TE. You have to have two in order for it to work, no matter what side they are on, or if they are both stacked on the strong side. This defense will not work like a true 3-4 is supposed to without that second true pass rushing OLB.

The only other piece that is really missing on the starting front 7 is someone really solid to play ILB alongside James. I’m thinking more and more that a FA may be in order. Dat was a leader out there, and it might be better to have a veteran at that position.

Any NT we get will likely be a backup to share reps with Fergie until he’s ready to retire, but that position is so key to the 3-4. If Glover goes we absolutely have to draft another one. It would be nice to get a Ted Washington clone, but Watson or Oshinowa should do fine.

Everson Walls was awesome, nice to remember him. Such a great athlete and an amazing cover corner. Made me sick to see him in a Giants uniform at the end there. That’s up there with James Washington going to the Redskins. It’s amazing how having a good secondary can help your front 7 get more sacks or flush the QB out of the pocket at least.

Sterling,

Wilbley is another guy I thought Dallas would be interested in. I thought he might be able to play ILB and back up Ware at WOLB. He is intriguing because he may not get drafted where his talent predicates he should, both he and Manny Lawson. Neither are thought to be big enough to play DE in a 4-3 defense, but they also don’t seem fit in as LBs in that system. Still they are incredible athletes, and can work their way up the depth chart while they help out on special teams. … Watson, I had predicted that his stock would rise. But he too may slip a little. My thinking is 4-3 teams usually put more of their stock in finding pass rushing ends than a space eating tackle. Most of the teams playing the 3-4 already have mamouth NTs and wouldn’t feel an urgent need to draft Watson. My belief is Atlanta may be interested in him because of their poorus run defense, and he definately doesn’t get past Romeo Crennell in round #2.

Rafael,

Any injury scares me at least a little bit. I would be happy to get Carpenter. He is big and fast! Although I didn’t see him play a lot, he was good when I saw him. Even outshining his teammate A.J. Hawk in the 1 game I saw. I thought it was telling how Ohio State struggled a bit against the run playing in their Bowl game with Notre Dame. They were the #1 defense against the run in the nation, but struggled some with out him. I think that is a bit telling. .. BUT I have seen Greenway play and he is just all over the place. Maybe I’m on the “flavor of the day” thing, but watching Troy Polamalu run all over the field freely this playoff season makes me want some one who can do similar things. Watching Greenway, he makes plays all over the field.

off topic
just read an article where it said jerry jones has no intention to trading or releasing ellis. but i read ellis wants his contract restructured, he says if they want to keep him they should show him some money up front.

Eric R:

Greenway does make plays all over the field, and he is like a defensive quarterback out there too. That’s why he is likely going to go a lot higher than originally thought. I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes in the top 10.

Carpenter is likely the best pick we have a shot at with #18. Nice thing about him is his size, speed, he’s used to playing LB from a 2-point stance, and his ability to make plays in coverage as well as rush the passer. He had 3 INT’s last year to go along with 8 sacks, and he is very solid making tackles against the run. Having AJ Hawk and Andrew Schlegel definitely helped him, but he’ll do well with James, Ware and Co. When he went down in the Michigan game I could really see the effect his injury had on the team from a confidence and momentum standpoint. That shows how much he meant to his team not only as a LB, but as a leader. When he came back out on crutches and started cheering his guys on I could sense the momentum shifting back to the Buckeyes. He reminds me of a young Mike Vrabel, which is the type of player we need.

I can’t imagine drafting Wimbley and then making him a backup to Ware. If Wimbley were to get drafted he would have to start on the opposite side. Keep in mind that in a 3-4 both OLB’s have to be prepared to either rush the passer or cover the TE on any given play. That’s where Carpenter would be a better option because he can do both. Wimbley has the perfect size, speed, and is a great speed rusher, but like Ware last year we don’t know if he can cover TE’s or play effectively out of the 2-point stance. Wimbley also had a knee injury last season that he has apparently recovered from, but knees are a big deal, at least in my book. Carpenter seems like the safer bet all around.

I can see the Dolphins being interested in Watson too for their 3-4 defense.

Sterling, you are right to bring up the issue of Watson’s work ethic/motor. He wound up in the coaches’ doghouse and was benched for 3 games last year at UM … has a tendency to take some plays off and disappear for stretches in games — with his physical gifts, he should be dominating every down. Maybe the prospect of first-round-pick $$ is motivating his performance this week in Senior Bowl practices.

Mike, I guess this dead horse is raising from the grave. Did you miss the extensive back and forth we had a few weeks ago after his interview on the Sunday night news?

I’m still on board with trading him to a team that will use him more than 30% of the plays and let him get paid accordingly. I’m sure Rafael and others still find his attempt to maximize his last chance at a nice payday offensive.

Ellis’ contract is cap friendly. Chances are he’ll be here. Glover will be traded or released because of his cap numbers. I don’t see us getting more than a 3rd for him though, and that will not be enough to entice anyone to move us up to the Greenway, Huff, Hawk, Ngata range. If we were going to pull the trigger on a NT it would be Ngata, but he’s gone by the top ten. Or, (here’s an injury scare for Eric R) his stock falls because of his knee. He tweaked it in the Holiday Bowl and his decision to declare early was predicated in part on medical evaluation that he did not need surgery. Will speculation start to fly and drop him to our range? The combine is in roughly thirty days.

At this point, don’t make too much out of Tuna’s spending time with Gabe Watson. Watson may be this year’s Shawn (but you promised and now my pussy hurts) Merriman. One of the things that makes BP a great drafter is his ability to play mind games with other teams and disguise who he really wants to pick.

Dat Nguyen is supposed to give a press conference either this week or next about his retirement announcement, so maybe a good ILB in the draft or FA

Sean writes,

“trading him to a team that will use him more and let him get paid accordingly…his attempt to maximize his last payday…”

Ellis’ contract runs until 2009. He’s got FOUR more years on it.

I’m all for trading him, but what makes him so special that he gets to rip up a six-year deal two years in and start over? He was getting good money for a full time and it’s a hell of lot better now that he’s a rotation end.

I took a lot of grief for saying his behavior was in T.O. territory, and I can’t confirm if he in fact asked for more up front money, but if he did, he’s well beyond the outskirts of T.O. county and well into the T.O. city limits. He’s taking a more aw-shucks approach it seems, but he’s got zero leverage and he’s playing poker with an owner who can read his tells before he even makes them.

Hey everyone i was reading some of the chats on espn and someone asked a question to one of the players that is going to be in this years draft. I thought it was interesting especially since we need a young WR. He was also asked where he thought he would go in the draft and he said mid to late 1st round. Now i can see us trading down or maybe he might even fall into the 2nd round and we might get a chance at him. tell me what ya think? Todd(Baton Rouge, LA): Who is your favorite NFL Team and who’s your pick to win the Super Bowl?

 Chad Jackson: (12:41 PM ET ) Growing up it was the Dallas Cowboys. I’m picking the Steelers. They just look really good right now. I like their gameplan.

I also wanted to point out to all of you who say that we need to draft an ILB. Have you all forgot that that is the real reason why we drafted Burnett. He was to take over Nguyen. He really wasn’t drafted to be and OLB.

for some of you that were talking about this guy this is what an espn analist had to say that is at the practices at the senior bowl.
Todd McShay: (2:23 PM ET ) Wimbley has helped his draft stock the most of the three. He’s undersized and would fit best as a 3-4 OLB, but his speed and athletic ability make him an intriguing 2nd round prospect. Watkins has not impressed much…. he’s tall and a bit stiff. Bunkley did not practice today because of an undisclosed injury at this point… he was in shorts, jersey and helmet, so it can’t be too bad.

Rafael-I was trying to find the details on Ellis’ contract and had no luck; however, I when I googled it our prior coversation came up.
What is the best source on a players current contract?

ironmike
go to putfile .com click top 50 and watch the dwane slay video he’s definately a killer.

Sean,

I’m having a hard time finding current data. I’m going off reports in today’s paper about his contract.

Raul has been able to find cap figures, etc. I’ll e-mail him. It’s probably a link we should provide on the site.

Sterling,

I say Wimbley may back up Ware only because of Burnett’s injuries last season. The LB position is what I’d say “undefined”. We have an idea with Ware, and James seems to be headed in the right direction, but what else? .. All I am saying is if Wimbley or Lawton were to fall, then Dallas may grab either of them up to add depth at that position, even if they have already drafted Carpenter or Geenway. At that point either player would probably learn both ILB and OLB positions while playing special teams. .. Imagine drafting Greenway, Watson, and Wimbley!! That would surely mean Glover and/or Ellis is headed out, but would give Dallas a young talented defense, especially up front. Then add a solid FS in free agency, and this defense would be very good.

this is what an espn analyst had to say about Wimbley
Todd McShay: (2:23 PM ET ) Wimbley has helped his draft stock the most of the three. He’s undersized and would fit best as a 3-4 OLB, but his speed and athletic ability make him an intriguing 2nd round prospect. Watkins has not impressed much…. he’s tall and a bit stiff. Bunkley did not practice today because of an undisclosed injury at this point… he was in shorts, jersey and helmet, so it can’t be too bad.

Some observations from watching the practices:

Tye Hill from Clemson is going to be a real good CB.

I like Manny Lawson, he looks like a DeMarcus Ware clone. In a dream scenario he drops to the 2nd round, but I HIGHLY doubt it.

D’Brick looks for real.

Greenway sounds like he could go in the top 5-7, the Cowboys have 0 chance of getting him if they stand still.

Marcedes Lewis is a monster out there. He runs very fluidly and is huge for a TE. He is going to be great in the red zone.

The guy Rafael mentioned, Garret Mills, looks good as a HBack and could be dangerous. I want to see the FB from OK too. Vickers looks pretty good at FB from what I’ve seen.

All the analysts agree that Brodie Croyle is really helping his draft status and could have moved from the late 3rd-early 4th to the mid 2nd-late 2nd rounds.

From the WR’s I see it is really a bad draft for WR’s. We should def wait and draft one later in the 2nd day.

Marcus McNeil and Jon Scott looked good, McNeil looks like a skyscraper out there, kind of like Canty. Think of him and Canty going one on one.

Gabe Watson still looks good. He gets good pressure up the middle, enough to stuff the run. Somebody needs to go back and look at the tapes of him at Michigan and see if it was him not trying, or not skilled enough, because he is playing his ass off so far in the practices and has impressed everybody.

D’Qwell Jackson looks real good at ILB.

Sterling,

Amen…..I was very impressed with A Henry. For a bit of a nameless guy and a 10 Mil signing bonus I did not see him play much…….except I did remember a hard fought Philly Browns battle where he held TO in check. He was worth every penny and if he is healthy for 16……you will definitely see some coverage sacks against the likes of Eli Manning, Brunell, or even McNabb.

I also agree an FA might be in order…..if not for the stellar play and improvement of James I would say it would be a must have. I would take an FA at ILB or OLB….and hope the youth on the team and the guys we keep Fujita, Burnett(ilb?), Thornton can all contribute as well…….Pats have Willie McGinnest out there making sacks and a threat….but they have to respect the other side……we need that and your are right our D will rattle all the qbs in the league.

Peyton got beat by San Diego’s 3-4 and Pitts. Until he and the o line learn to handle it they will continue to lose in the playoffs. Funny, people are talking about the immobile Drew Bledsoe but Peyton Manning is a pure pocket passer with as much mobility as Bledsoe…….is anyone in Indy calling for his ouster yet??? he only makes 5X the money drew cost us.

Jon Bartlett
What Bledsoe doesn’t have that other pocket passers have like Manning have is pocket awareness. They move around just enough to avoid some sacks or know when to throw the ball. All of the sacks Bledsoe had this year were not all on the o line. Bledsoe takes sacks and been doing it for years.

bledsoe also avoids sacks that other smaller pocket passers cant. ive seen him many times have a guy on him and shake him off.
aw
will your bledsoe bashing ever stop???

aw……i did not see mr 50 million Manning avoiding the rush of Porter at home on turf in the colts dome…..nor did he ever avoid the pats rush when it mattered or the Chargers rush this year. So should they can Manning for a “future” qb? Despite being sacked the guy started and played all 16 games……and engineered how many 4th quarter comeback and 2 minute victories? Aikman was no mr mobility either…..he injured himself once running out of bounds untouched. The qb position is not going to change short of injury in Dallas during Parcells tenure…..so like it or not…….Bledsoe is who you will be rooting for on Sundays.

After reading and watching some of the practices, alot of guys stand out to me who have some potential, some that fit in with our team and some that dont:

QB Brodie Croyle
RB DeAngelo Williams
FB/TE Garrett Mills*
TE Marcedes Lewis
TE Anthony Nix*
WR Ben Obomanu*
WR Skyler Green*
OT Eric Winston, McNeil, Jon Scott

DE/OLB Manny Lawson
DT Gabe Watson
DE Victor Adeyanju*
OLB Thomas Howard
ILB D’Qwell Jackson

The ones I put stars on are late round picks, possible FA rookies, that I think have some potential and are worth a shot.

John Bartlett,

I think Everson Walls ended up with 54 career interceptions. I also think that he should be considered for HOF, but because he was a Cowboy, I think we can all forget about it, even though he finished his career as a Giant and has a ring to prove it. At least he won a Super Bowl. How many of his ’80s Cowboys teammates never got a ring, save for Bill Bates and Jim Jeffcoat?

lou c,

Ah yes Brodie Croyel! Finally someone , other than yours truely, who likes the player. He has an outstanding attitude too. I mean seemingly a really good person, with a big heart and determination. … Oh BTW a rocket for an arm too!!

one,

the HOF is a mystery. I remember watching Lester Hayes as a kid. I remember applying “stick um” to my hands and pads before the kickoff on the youth league grid iron and also hearing players and coaches says just like Lester. I considered both excellent DBs that deserve the HOF……Everson was Mr. Interception there for a few years…..and I was glad to see him get a ring….albeit for a team I despised.

Unfortunately there were a lot of great Cowboys in that eighties decade. We always finished 2nd or worse in that NFC championship game……but hey if those great teams of the 70s can’t get HOF respect I guess you are right and we can forget about the like of Walls.