An Interview with Scott Wright

it really sound like olb, te, and fs in that order fits us really well this year for day one.

TE is a horrible pick for the second round. you have to try to get more than just a blocking TE that early.

johnnypeewon,

The TE prospects that Scott Wright mentioned are both late-round projections. In fact, this is the first time I have seen Sypniewski’s name. He might not even be drafted. Wallace might be a reasonable choice in the 5th round.

You are correct though, if we go for a tight end on the first day (much less in round two), he had better be able to do a lot more than block.

My updated mock draft for Dallas:

1- Carpenter OLB
2- Spencer OG/OT
3- Parham ILB (trade)
3- Brandon Williams WR
4- Darrell Hunter CB/FS (Mia of Ohio: trade)
5- Fifta or Peko NT
6- Bernstein FB
7- Wallace TE

Would someone please tell me why we are looking at the TE position in the 1st three rounds ? Witten is one of the top TE`s in the league ! Campell is the team leader & an excellent blocking TE & I beleive will be resigned soon. Again with pressing needs @ OLB, FS & OL why would TE even be mentioned? We need a WR before a TE. As far as LB`s go I beleive we need more than just a starter. Do we have any depth if 1 or 2 players go down? Every time I read how we should take a TE on the first day I shake my head. Can someone please explain this to me !

Jesse,

1. the WR position is a dud this year;
2. Parcells likes to stockpile TEs, especially since he runs so many two TE sets;
3. TE is one of the deepest positions in this year’s draft;
4. Campbell is not a sure thing. He may be re-signed, but the team has stalled on starting negotiations;
5. Who do you get if Campbell is not resigned? Do you go into ’06 with only one TE on a team that should have at least three, given the offense Parcells wants to run?

That’s why.

Raf:

First of all Brett Pierce was highly touted by BP last year & then went on IR. Also Tony Curtis has been retained by BY so he must of seen something he liked. Hey look all I am saying is if there is a good TE at 5+ round then I can see taking him but the 1st 4 Rounds in my opinion used with FA should be used where we need the most help. Yes if Dan Campell does not sign then we need to address it but how do you know he will not! He has Family & many Ties in Texas. He loves playing for BP & he is happy here I see no reason for him to not sign with Dallas! After all he would not be the hottest commodity in FA !

I,m with you Jesse, I cant see Dallas drafting a tightend early or if at all, the two positions that are fairly deep on this team is tightend and running back.I think Campbell will resign. This has got to be the weakest wide reciever class in a long time, none are worthy of a first round pick in my opinion. Lots of good linebacker and safeties.

Jesse NY:

If TE doesn’t seem to be at all a pressing need for the team, I would simply refer you back to the start of last year’s training camp. Go check the archives on here around the last few days of July or first couple of August. There you will see Rafael explaining what a huge problem Parcells was facing with running the offense with the lack of depth at TE caused by injury. I believe it was something about a “domino effect” that would take its toll on the entire offense.

Also, the O-Line’s problems could still remain considerable even after personnel changes at RT if TE is an issue because of injury and lack of depth. This team ran a LOT of max protect blocking schemes last season because of the need to give Bledsoe enough time and the almost invisible FB play. I think there was a few games where we didn’t even have a FB suit up. On top of all of this, I think one reason for Witten catching about 20 less balls for about 200 less yards last season was because defenses could afford to disrespect Campbell as a receiving threat and focus their attention on stopping Witten. With another TE threat to keep the LB’s or nickel back honest, that dynamic changes and both the running game and the short/intermediate passing game are improved. Parcells’ “domino effect” in production, instead of subtracting from the offense.

I think Campbell will eventually be retained, partially because he is not a hot commodity. But even that does not preclude the Cowboys from pursuing an upgrade at a position that Parcells places a very high value on and wants quality depth at.

Rafael:

Thank you for asking Scott Wright my question. I find the information very informative.

Am I alone in feeling like it should be a very high priority for the Cowboys to somehow get back into the 4th round this draft? I think there will be a lot of great players slipping to the middle rounds this draft, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

Calvin Johnson next year…….Chan Gailey said he is the most talented WR he has ever seen!!!

Bad thing is we would have to trade up to get him cuz we will have the last pick in the Draft….but that is the price of winning the SB!!!

Look for Crayton to have a break out year, and Copper to get more snaps as well. I doubt BP touches a WR on the first day of the draft…….the pourous oline and depleted Linebacker corps are a more pressing need. Does anybody realize that KJ and TG combined for like a cowboys record…..and you still had Witten having a decent year……..our passing offense and passing defense was pretty good…….our running game and ablity to stop the run were bad.(running game defense went down with A Henry)…….so look for Dallas to improve the LB Depth, definetly bookend Ware with another OLB with talent…….

KJ occassionly lines up at TE and closer to the lineman……you could use him as a TE on passing downs…..and he can block pretty good…..sneak in more speed at WR like Newman, Crayton, Copper, Glenn……

Peerless Price could not make this team for any lenghth of time. Do you see a rookie WR with as much talent as he had last year? He knew DB and could still not find his way onto the field……much…….not at all if Crayton does not get hurt.

OLB, OT, G/C, first day!!!
2nd day…..best available at MLB, FS, TE/FB…….there really aint much at FB……we would do better to convert a LB to FB then draft one.

Sterling,
any team that has two tightends go down with injuries, Ryan with a broken foot and Campbell with emergency surgery, what would you expect to happen, no team has three and four depth at any position. I can say the same thing about the tackle position. whats more of a need right now for this team, tackle or tightend, I think we’d can both say Tackle because Rogers has a boo boo and cant and wont suck it up and play.I would say a Fullback is a more pressing need than a tightend at this point since we have one in Polite who missed blocks in the hole time and time again last year to the point where he wasn’t even dressed in some games. We had to mass protect so much because of the weak tackle play more than anything else limiting Witten from getting out into pass patterns.

Rafael
Do it again next year right before the combine when things are slow. great content.

Jesse,

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying they will definitely get a TE in rounds two or three, or even should. I’d be very happy drafting a Cooper around round five.

I am sticking with the point that they need another good one. And TEs are deep this year and tend to drop. (Witten was the top rated TE in ’03 and lasted until the top of rd. 3.) With so many good ones I expect them to drop again this year.

And if you look up in round three and see a TE you have rated much higher, do you pass him up for a need position, which might be rated lower?

Parcells loves LBs and TEs. If a really good one is there in round three, I’m not sure he’ll be able to pass him up.

Derrick:

I believe the team will address RT through FA, but I don’t think an upgrade at RT will stop Parcells from running a similar amount of max protect schemes because he knows Bledsoe needs a lot of time no matter who the tackles are and it is a formation he favors for the power running attack. If you consider then that there will be 2 TE sets on most plays, and a team has 2 starting OT’s…then that would mean the team needs the same number of TE’s on the roster as they do OT’s.

I agree fullback is a very pressing need, but that roster spot falls under the category of running backs. This spot I also see as a FA need because the draft doesn’t project to be the best place to fill this.

When you consider that a great deal of establishing a power running attack will depend on having 2 TE’s in the formation, along with the need to have 3 TE’s in short yardage and goalline situations, then you can imagine a scenario where Parcells would want more depth and quality at this position.

I have no idea what he will do in the draft, but it looks like there is a lot of uncommon talent at the position projected through the first 3 rounds. After that, you might as well not even bother because any team who wanted a quality TE will have drafted theirs already, the low hanging fruit will have been picked from the tree, and the rest will likely be able to be had as undrafted rookie FA’s unless one of the projected 1st day TE’s drops a lot.

Hey Rafael,

How many picks do the Cowboys have this year anyway? I know they gave away a pick for Canty, but I thought we picked one up for Hunter and maybe some of the FAs that left.

1-1 1-2nd 1-3rd no 4th? 5th? 2 in 6th?

Do you think there is a QB signing or drafted at all? If Cut does Pennington become our backup?

I think TE is more likely than FB…..you are right a guy like Jeff King might fall and he was pretty good around the goal line and a serviceable blocker….he is a 2nd day guy that could contribute to a team on 2TE sets and goalline packages for sure. Not that familiar with a lot of the other guys available….but saw enough of him to know if he is 2nd day the position is pretty deep.

Rafael:

I see Round 3 as the right round if Parcells is going to draft one. That should be getting toward the tailend of the top rated TE’s, even allowing for some slippage. I predict at least 3 of the studs will go in the first round…Vernon Davis in the top 15, and one other to the Bears and the last to the Panthers. I can see at least one, possibly two more TE’s going in round 2, leaving the last of the top rated guys somewhere in round 3…maybe not available where the Cowboys pick, but hopefully so.

One question I have for everyone who doesn’t want a TE in say…round 3…who or what position would you prefer? What if the top rated player on the Cowboys’ board is a TE? Should they pass and reach for another need or go for it? What if Vernon Davis by some miracle is still available at #18? Do you take him? Just wondering under what scenarios a TE would be acceptable as a draft pick on the first day.

EricR:
If you think that Wallace will be there on the board at the 7th Round you’re daydreaming. He’s one of those few players that can play in the backfield that have soft hands and can block with a mean strike. He’ll be gone by Round 4.

Ok, Jesse NY and Derrick, imagine this scenario:

Main Offense:
WR – Keyshawn Johnson
TE – Anthony Fasano
RB – JJ/MB3
TE – Jason Witten
WR – Terry Glenn

What does this Offense brings? Simple, it brings that 2 OLB’s will be in coverage in passing plays, instead of having Campbell or Pierce in one side, which brings one in coverage and one trying to collapse the pocket. How many times did Dallas saw Defenses taking to the field 6 and 7 man fronts in evident running plays? Too many. That’s lack of respect for the TE’s we had last year.

And have you considered how much money is Campbell worth as a 7 years veteran? If you consider that $800K for a blocking TE that has no upside in other areas, then he’s your guy.

Brett Pierce is another blocking TE, if you have troubles remembering what he made last year when he played in 10 games and even started in one, he just catched 2 passes.

Sean Ryan is what he’s a depth player that’s Practice Squad material, just like Curtis.

So what’s the main thing that a TE that can catch brings to the table? He could catch a ball thrown his way without tipping it away to the arms of Patrick Surtain. Had it been an interception returned for a TD and Dallas record in the end had been 8-8, maybe the perception here for the TE need could be diferent.

Heres the thing with Campell:

- Ever since he hurt his foot he hasnt been exactly the same. He cant catch the ball for anything, and there is no sense in even running a play for him. With Fasano and Byrd rising, I would LOVE to see Marcedes Lewis fall to us. He is a WR in a TE’s body, and uses his big body to block well. He had average Sr Bowl, but I think this guy could be a star. He could stay in on the line at TE or go out wide at WR. Remember, with a RT, Flo back, and a good blocking FB, a great blocking TE is not needed, just a good one. Witten is a pretty decent blocker, just not when he has to play FB. I would love to see Fasano or Lewis in the 2nd.

I see Vernon Davis to either the 49ers or Rams. Then the Bears take Leonard Pope from GA. That leaves Fasano, Lewis, and Byrd. Fasano is probably the best all around TE out of the 3, and Lewis has the most potential. If we could draft him, and run a set with KJ and Glenn out wide and Witten and Lewis on the line at TE, with Jones and Sowell in the backfield, how can you stop that? Bledsoe could just throw out passes or dump it to a back IF he gets protection. We dont need a #1 WR with that lineup, it will scare defenses if we get protection for Bledsoe.

Raf:

I know we have been over this before but to me right now the most pressing need is RT.

I agree with Sterling that we will (have to) address this in FA. Who in your opinion right now are our top three canidates for this spot. Once RT is filled I will feel alot better about our chances this year. I am not worried about the draft. BP`s record on draftees speaks for itself & regardless of who he picks I am sure it will be best available talent (prospect) at their position.
Can you tell me who our best option ( regardless of age or price ) is at this point to fill our RT spot!

And Scott Wright has both Fasano and Lewis available at #49, I say take one. They have alot more potential to be good players than Bullocks (who Wright has us taking). The only other players I would consider are Jon Scott and Max Jean Gilles. It all depends on our free agency.

lou c:

I saw an interview with Fasano last week on NFL Network talking about the Combine and the Draft. That kid has his head screwed on straight. Two things leapt out at me. One, he looks like the type of player Parcells would love to have on the team and vice-versa. Two, he looks like he has Chicago Bears written all over him. If he makes it past the Bears, I’d be surprised but I bet he doesn’t make it past the Panthers too, especially if they’ve already addressed RB through FA or the big guns at RB are already taken. I can see Pope going to whichever one doesn’t take Fasano. I also don’t see how Byrd and Lewis make it past the 2nd round with teams like the Saints early and the Bengals late both needing upgrades at that position.

That leaves the 3rd round, and the TE most are projecting to be the 6th best…Klopfenstein, the Witten clone (my observation, not theirs). Who knows if he’ll drop to the Cowboys’ pick…but if he does I certainly hope they take him. If not, my second choice would be Anthony Smith, the FS from Syaracuse. I posted this on my 3 round mock a few weeks ago and I’ll stick by it until at least early next week after I’ve seen the Combine.

Chandus,
Brett prerce is a the catching tightend behind Witten, not the blocking tightend and Ryan is a blocking tightend, Ryan would’ve have been on the active roster if it wasn’t for his broken ankle, thats the reason why he was put on the practice squad.
If we faced 6 and 7 man fronts as much as you describe, our running game should of been alot better, thats wasn’t the case, teams were loading up and bringing pressure because our tightends had to stay in and pass block to help the tackles limiting the amount of recievers out in patterns.

One other thing to consider regarding Parcells’ affinity for drafting TE’s is that he drafted 4 TE’s in 4 years when he was with the Patriots, all after Ben Coates was already becoming a star in the league and when the team was rebuilding and had other needs as well. It has been about 3 years since Witten was drafted, so the law of averages should be catching up about now.

Derrick:
If Pierce is that good of a pass catcher then how in hell name did he went with just 2 catches in 2004 when he played in 10 games and started one? To say that he’s a pass catcher with that evidence is just dumb, Campbell had as much catches in just the 3 games in which he played that year!

And the 6 and 7 man fronts Dallas faced last year were placed to stop the run, if you don’t know what I mean, then look at film since the second Philly game, Philly stacked the line and Detroit, Denver, NY, Kansas and Washington followed their lead.

Chandus,

These guys had to play the line rather than the TE position. Witten & a couple of other TE`s in the league have enough speed to get open quickly. Bigger TE`s can no way block & get into patterns.We are not just talking a chip block here , these were full commital blocking schemes he & Campell were in. Witten for the most part only chipped block & if not for his speed he would have caught even less passes than he did.How can you comment on a position when these guys were not allowed to actually play their position.If you want to increase TE participation in the passing game than get an offensive line who can handle their assignments by themselves.

To change topics a little, what are the real chances that another team will give up draft picks for La’Roi Glover? It seems obvious to us posters that we cannot afford the cap cost so it would appear equally obvious to other teams. They can wait and we will cut him in the next month. Or is his contract sufficiently favorable that another team needing a starter in a 4-3 would rather acquire his contract than have to negotiate a free agent, free market deal from scratch? Any rumblings out there of interested teams?

Chandus,
Pierce is the BACKUP to Witten, what do you want, take our probowl tightend Witten out so Pierce can get some catches.
8 and 9 man fronts are designed to stop the run first unless you’re blitzing on a down, not the other way round

Chandus,

Pierce is the lightest of our tight ends, at 250 pounds. The fact that he didn’t produce as a receiver, doesn’t automatically make him a demon blocker.

Regardless of how he was utilized, Pierce was hired as a receiving tight end.

Derrick:
Last season Pierce played in Campbell’s place, that makes him Campbell’s backup last season.

The NFL overview of him the year in which he was drafted:

A standout blocker and clutch short-area receiver, he adds to his resume as one of the best punt coverage defenders in college football … The consummate team player hauled in 38 passes for 391 yards (10.3 avg.) and three touchdowns while starting 26 of 34 games for the Cardinal … On special teams, he registered 30 tackles (24 solos) and caused a fumble.

38 Receptions in 34 games isn’t the description of a pass catching TE, right? As a mather of fact, those numbers made him an undrafted Free Agent.

On the other hand this is what they have to say about Sean Ryan:

Four-year starter who moved into the lineup early in his freshman season … Possessing exceptional football character, Ryan is an unbelievable worker in the weight room and will make that extra effort to improve himself … Joined the Eagles as a defensive end, but found a home on offense when he shifted to tight end as a sophomore … Called the “most competitive player in the Big East” by USA Today, Ryan hauled in 75 passes for 950 yards (12.7 avg.) and 12 touchdowns in 37 games on offense … He also recorded 48 tackles (31 solos) with an 18-yard sack, three stops behind the line of scrimmage on defense, two pass deflections, a fumble recovery and a quarterback pressure … His 12 scoring grabs rank second in school history among Eagle tight ends

That sounds as a TE that can catch but that is a bit rough, maybe a lot and that could be the reason behind him not playing much in this league.

Now, I’ve also heard about Tony Curtis, so this is what they have to say about him:

Curtis is a rare-sized athlete with a great combination of size, bulk, strength and quickness. He is a relative unknown to football fans, but pro scouts made Portland State a regular visit this year as teams liken his ability to that of former Green Bay Packer tight end Tyrone Davis. A tall, lanky player prior to the 2004 season, Curtis worked hard in the weight room prior to his senior year, adding over 25 pounds of muscle to his frame.
Prior to enrolling at Portland State, Curtis spent two years at Fresno City College. He saw action in 11 games as a reserve tight end for Portland State in 2003, coming up with nine receptions for 79 yards (8.8 avg.). He started seven games for the Vikings in 2004, making seven catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. In two seasons at PSU, he caught 16 passes for 175 yards (10.9 avg.) and a score.

That sounds to me as a not so good and rough pass catcher.

All this sounds to me as average players that make an average player like Campbell look good because he’s just so good blocking.

Dallas couldn’t afford to draft another TE early in the recent past because they had more pressing needs, now if in FA they take: RT, K, MLB and NT with the names that have been mentioned in previous threads, then why wouldn’t Dallas be in a position to Draft OLB, FS and TE in the first day?

Parcells certainly knows all about Ahmad Brooks from Al Groh. I wonder what Al Groh thinks of the ILB? If he’s on the board late in the 4th, or mid 5th, and if Groh thinks Brooks has his head together, I hope Parcells grabs him.
He’s your – maybe – sleeper “Canty Pick” in this year’s draft.

I could see us grabing the Packers pick early in the 2nd round, even maybe the Raiders. The DT you are looking at in those picks are Claude Wroten and Gabe Watson. Wroten got busted for drugs and Watson is a boom or bust pick. I could see them trading that pick for a 6 straight Pro Bowler.

Chandus,
You make the same mistake that alot of others do, you cant take what a player does in College and then translate that to what he is built to do in the Pros. Its a totally different game and a player like Ryan who is a defensive player that changed position who doesn’t have a burst of the line, cant break tackles after the catch and has average hands, is a blocking Tightend, thats what he is and Pierce who has better hands and quickness to get off the chip blocks and because he’s in replacing Campbell on certain situations, doesn’t make him the backup to Campbell or a blocking tightend.

And with Witten,Campbell if he resigns,Pierce,Ryan and Curtis, thats why I dont think thats a major priority in the draft even if we have a good offseason signings other needs before the draft. Its time after if what we do in free agency, to draft some offensive line help which has some good depth in this draft and can fill some needs in the middle rounds.

Derrick:

I totally agree with you.

Many people on this blog are saying what a great TE draft & I agree it is a great TE draft.
BUT the question is IS THIS OUR MOST pressing need right now !
If the drop off in talent is huge between the position player we need & TE than go ahead & draft the TE. But to take a player that probably won`t even start this year & let us not forget even if he gets playing time do you really think he is going to see many passes thrown his way with Witten in the game. TE is a very importanat position granted , but with Witten & Campbell( if he resigns) & some young prospect in backup roles I really do not see the urgency when we have all these starting positions to fill.

John Abraham has officialy been franchised.

Actually Jesse and Derrick, where was the pressing need last year when they took Marion Barber III after taking Julius Jones the year before and signing A-Train in FA? No one is saying use the 1st or 2nd round pick on a TE, but a 3rd round or possibly lower seems entirely reasonable.

The same arguments you make about TE can be made about OG, where Peterman is waiting in the wings and Gurode is up to be re-signed as a FA. Personally, I believe Gurode would be a far better signing than Campbell because he is younger and can conceivably play Guard or Center. Either way, the two starters at OG are set, and likely to be so for the next few years, barring injury…like it or not. How many OG’s do you think Parcells will carry on the roster?

I’ve been hearing about how the Cowboys shouldn’t draft this, and shouldn’t draft that position because O-Line is the biggest need. Anyone with two eyes knows that already, but it doesn’t mean that you pass up on a good player that can help the team. The Cowboys aren’t going to draft an O-Lineman every round on the first day, and they are likely to plug the hole at RT with a veteran FA anyway. I think in the first two rounds they will use one pick on O-Line of some sort (my guess is OT), and the other on a LB…not sure in which order because it will depend on who is still on the board when they pick. The 3rd round is always a hard one to predict because you never know who will be there. Pressing needs don’t matter as much there if there is a highly rated TE, WR, LB, or QB on the board and the only O-Line or FS left on the board are somewhat average. No one knows who will still be available until it happens, but I am quite sure Parcells won’t pick an O-Lineman lower on his board to fill that “need” if a higher ranked player at a different position is still there to be had.

Assuming the Cowboys get one OT in FA, and one more in the first 2 rounds of the draft…keeping Pettiti, and putting Tucker on the bubble or cutting him if he can’t make it in camp, that still leaves 4 OT’s.

Jesse, yes I do think a rookie TE would see a lot of passes thrown his way with Witten in the game. The main reason why is to establish that player as a threat and take some of the coverage heat off of Witten. If Campbell had better skills in this category and the faith of his coaches I’m sure he would have been used this way to keep defenses honest against him. If you remember when Billy Joe DuPree was paired with guys like Doug Cosbie and Jackie Smith in various seasons both TE’s were able to open up the field for each other. Landry even ran quite a few 3 TE sets to great success in the early 80’s.

Sterling:

Where in Dan Campbells career has he ever been a pass catching TE ? He has always been known for his blocking ability. How many catches did he have with the Giants? The very rare TE is one with not only speed, good hands & precise pattern running but also an excellent blocker. You can tell me how Campbell does not catch & I can tell you that Witten sucks at blocking. Fact is he does. KJ is a better blocker than Witten.TE use has change dramatically over the years. They basically went from an offensive lineman to a receiving position. It all depends on what your team needs. In Dallas we have a limmited moble QB & need the xtra blocking. If we throw another receiving TE in with Witten who will help with protection ! Unless you go with a three TE set.

As far as Marion Barber went JJ has been injury prone from day one so this was not shocking. Anthony thomas was an insurance policy. I am not saying do not draft TE I just do not see it in the first 3 rounds.

Derrick:
You just can’t teach hands. If you have hands of stone, there’s no way in hell in which they will turn into silk. Campbell had hands of stone in College, he still has them now that he’s turning into a 30 years old veteran. Pierce in the small amount of chances that he had in 2004 looked stoned handed, too, just like he did in College. Sean Ryan hasn’t recorded a catch in 2 years, he consistently catched in College so there’s something seriously wrong with him. And Tony Curtis is depth shelved on the Practice Squad.

I just can’t believe how you guys aren’t seeing what we do, a more complete TE paired with Witten would be playing from day one and would contribute in a big way, a Guard, a Center or a Tackle would be a bench warmer behind what we have and what’s to come from Free Agency.

But we will see in time, I guess this subject needs to be put to rest.

Sterling,
As of draft day last year, the only running back was Julius on the roster, hense that was big need, A-train wasn’t signed until May 3 and was veteran insurance. Julius was injured half of his first year.We had alot of holes to fill last year and we filled them but we still have some work to do before this team can compete for a superbowl.Two spots on this team that doesn’t need immediate attention are Tightend and runningback

pressing Needs as I see it this offseason,

Defense-NT if Glover is gone, OLB, ILB, FS

offense- T, G, FB, WR. and a backup at C

David Thomas will be there in the third and was used effectively as an H back at UT. and is definately a weapon we could use.
Another weapon we could use is devin hester as a punt returner and FS. I mean he,s played WR, TB, FB, CB, and nickleback all while leading the nation in punt and kick off returns.
I mean what is he?

Derrick:

I agree with most of your needs, although I don’t know where you prioritize them. If Campbell isn’t re-signed then I would say TE will be a very big priority for this team, so perhaps this is where we differ. I see no reason to re-sign a player who can only block and is basically an extra linemen to a position that typically can do that and catch as well, especially when there is a glut of young talent in the upcoming draft.

NT is only a priority if Glover is cut or traded, and that is far from being known at this point. Otherwise going 4 deep at NT makes no sense to me, and especially after dumping a lot of money into Fergie last offseason. The other defensive positions are priorities, but there is no guarantee that they will ALL be addressed in the draft at all, let alone in the 3rd round.

On offense, I’ve already stated that OT will be a FA priority and that one should be drafted in the first 2 rounds. That’s at least 5 OT’s on the team with the luxury of cutting one at the end of camp. If Gurode is re-signed then there is at least 4 OG’s on the team, and there is no way a rookie is going to get the nod over LA or Rivera, and probably not over Peterman or Gurode either, so unless one of the projected 2nd rounders drops to the 3rd I don’t see that one being addressed in that round. Unless AJ is let go I doubt they go for a rookie here either. I have praised Mangold, but he will likely be gone somewhere in the 2nd round. If Gurode is re-signed, which I believe he has been named the Cowboys top priority for the their FA’s they want to keep, then there is no need for another Center.

FB would be better filled through FA than in this draft. There are a lot of FB’s on the FA market, as has been discussed numerous times. WR, perhaps a possiblity, but since none of the starting WR’s seem to be going anywhere before next season and one of the two often used TE’s does…I put TE above WR if a quality one is there.

Derrick, Jesse,

We need a pass catching TE that can block. Look how open Campbell was on several occassions but the guy cannot catch a ball over his shoulder. In fact, his inability to catch cost us at least 2 interceptions and arguably lost us the Denver game.

This is a real need, almost as important as upgrading our line.

RHA:

I would love to have one>

Where do we get one for you will not find one in FA.

In fact you will not find many in this league.

Right now with a 3-4 defense without good starting LB`s & an Ofeensive line without a right tackle I would rather not go wasting a 1st or 2nd or 3rd round pick when we have had one of the best TE`s in the league the last 2 years.

Jesse NY:

I never said Campbell has been a good pass catching TE ever in his career, for the simple reason that he hasn’t been ever. So why even play a TE in that spot? Why not put a real O-Lineman in if you aren’t going to pass to him because he is so lacking? Parcells has done this in the past when he wants an extra blocker he has used DE’s in his jumbo formations dating back to his days with the Giants. I’m talking about a position player…a TE…who can perform the duties generally expected of a TE, one of which is to on occassion catch the damn ball when you need him to. Campbell had to double clutch a wide open catch in the end zone to win that Chiefs game and it couldn’t have been a more perfect throw. The reason he was wide open is precisely because he can’t catch well.

Your assertion about Witten is a bit overdone, IMO. Just because he catches well and runs routes better than he blocks does not mean he “sucks” at blocking. It’s not his strongest suit or the only thing he does (like Campbell), but I can’t recall seeing him make any major whiffs on blocks that were his fault and not the fault of the OT. Comparing KJ blocking DB’s to Witten blocking LB’s and DE’s is also not exactly a fair comparison either. It almost sounds like in your rush to criticize those of us who like the idea of another TE who can do more than block you are now criticizing the skills of Witten to make Campbell sound like he does his job better. I promise you this…the Cowboys won’t be taking their sweet time to call his agent next year about a new contract when he becomes a FA…because they will probably already have locked him up in a new one by then. That’s because he plays his position better than Campbell.

The idea of keeping a TE around who can’t catch strikes me almost like the idea of keeping Troy Hambrick around because he blocked better than Julius Jones.

BTW – Mike Ditka, Dan Reeves, Billy Joe Dupree, Doug Cosbie…which one of these was basically only an offensive lineman in the progression of the position into a receiving one? They all caught passes and they were expected to because that is one of the duties expected of the position.

Jesse,

I think finding a TE better than Campbell is certainly possible. We don’t need a superstar, just someone that will catch the ball.

Sterling,

I am not going to criticize anyone for their opinion. Like I said before how many TE`s are there who can catch like Witten & Block like Campbell? This is not a question of how good or valuble Campbell is. Did anyone notice when he was injured how the running game went down & sacks went up.This whole concept of the perfect catching / blocking TE sounds great but how many teams have one. The fact that we have a 2 time young pro bowl TE to me means ( do we need help anywhere else?)

The answer is yes!

To ALL:

Let me just set the brecord straight.
If we have the option of picking up a TE that should of went much earlier I am not saying do not take hime. What I am saying is if there is a OLB or FS that is rank a little lower to me that is more of a priority. Look at the idiot in Detroit Matt Millen. He kept taking the best available player year after year. What he wound up with is 3 top 10 receivers with no QB to throw to them. The funny part about all of this is nobody not even BP has any Idea yet who he will be drafting or at what position & will probably not until about 2 weeks before. But to me more important than the draft at this point is finding a RT in FA.
That`s the key.

Jesse:

We have a Pro Bowl LG (right or wrong he’s better than any rookie that could be brought in) on the O-Line and Flo may have been there too if he had not been injured. Rivera was Pro Bowl very recently as well. So we have two spots that are not Pro Bowlers on the O-Line. If Gurode is kept, and the Cowboys have indicated he is priority #1 of their FA’s they want to re-sign, then he may very well step up and play Center. I’d give him a better shot than any rookie except Mangold. If a RT is signed in FA, and another one is drafted, then with Pettiti that position is covered. Other than FB, which is a FA, if at all…then I would definitely put TE as the next offensive priority, especially in Campbell is not brought back.

Funny, I was hearing this same thing about LB’s only about a week ago. How O-Line is the top priority and how Dat doesn’t need to be replaced because we have Burnett, Shanle, Fowler, etc. How many O-Linemen does everyone think Parcells is going to carry on the roster??

BTW – I lumped Reeves in as a TE, he was actually more of a H-Back/FB.

Jesse:

I agree with your last comment. That’s what I have been saying too.

Jesse NY:
If Dallas has this Free Agency:

La’Roi Glover’s traded for a 3rd Rounder.
Jason Fabini – RT
Chris Hope – FS
Justin Bannan – DT
Ryan Longwell – K
Jerald Sowell – FB

Wouldn’t you be more happy with this Draft:

1st Round – Bobby Carpenter, OLB
2nd Round – Anthony Fasano, TE
3rd Round – Jason Spitz, G/C
3rd Round – Gerrys Wilkinson, ILB

Or with this one:?

1st Round – Bobby Carpenter, OLB
2nd Round – Davin Joseph, OG/OT
3rd Round – Joe Klopfenstein, TE
3rd Round – Gerrys Wilkinson, ILB

I dont have a problem using the first pick in the entire draft on a te, if thats what you need and the quality is there. rt and k are number one with lb a close second. I would put fs and te pretty close. We need to adress rt and k in free A, and we have our no18 for olb. Although we need several lb’s, we do need anothert solid te to run our 2 te defense. who we get at r2 and 3 should depend on who is the best availible at o-line, fs, lb, or te. my guess is that the best player at pick 50 at any of these positions will be a te.

OL usually take 2-3 years to develop.

By that time, Allen & Rivera will be gone. Flo will be on his last legs and there better be some young studs blooming or we’ll be in the same boat.

We need a minimum of 3 OL in THIS draft + 1 or 2 of the current backups to blossom from the group of Peterman, AJ, Gurode, & Colombo.

That does not preclude (nor should it) getting a RT in FA.

unlees theres several te’s left and we think we can still get one at r3 or 4

I just can’t believe how on Earth do the Jets plan to pay Abraham the $8.3M he’s going to receive for the tag with the economical troubles that team has… They’ll definetely be getting rid of Fabini, Mawae, Sowell, Law and change. Not a good way of making business if you ask me…

fasano sounds really good. I have to admit that I hadn’t thought about d tackle. I think glover is more value as a trade to a 4/3 system than he is to us. That would mean we need a d tackle from somewhere. We could probably get a r3 or 4 for him and pick up furgeson’s backup there.

Chandus, theyre gonna cut half their team, thats how. I GAURANTEE we get a few of their cap casualties, what with parcells ties to the jets

I agree with all of you that are for getting another TE with recieving skills instead of retaining Campbell. I like the guy but it’s almost a given that when he’s in the game that we will be running to his side or passing it to Witten. I’m not saying that when Campbell that they won’t pass it to Keyshawn or Glen or anyone else for that matter i’m just saying that the other team doesn’t loose sleep over Campbell going out for passes. I want the other teams Defensive coordinator to loose some sleep over which one of our recieving TE’s he’s going to have to take out of the game while the other one tears them apart. With 2 receiving TE’s our running game actually improves more than with a blocking TE because you can disguise your scheme much easier. The other team won’t be tipped off to what side we will run or if we are going to run a playaction and pass it to a wide open Witten or TE draft pick. Me I think it makes everone on the team a bit better because it takes the pressure off of everyone.

Law as our FS that would be nice but it will never happen

lilbeast, couldnt have said it better myself. But I do think we should keep campbell. God fobid we get a rotation. we use 2 te’s alot.

The Jets are in serious trouble, why would you pay Abraham 8 mil a year when you could probably sign Brees for that money? QB is more important than DE, and unless they are serious about getting Cutler at #4, they should have let Abraham go.

anyone heard anything on c bentley or fs scott being franchised?

Rafael
I have said this before and you just don’t see it happening but what about a trade of Ellis and our 3rd rounder for Abraham and their 4th rounder. Or Ellis and Glover for Abraham. Have any of you read the article on RealFootball365NEWS about us maybe trying to get Eric Moulds if he is let go by Bufalo. I know he is getting up there in age along with the rest of our WR but it makes sense.

lilbeast,
you’ve gotta be kidding! moulds?! moulds is just as old as glenn and johnson! he was the #1 for the bills last year and still produced less than keshawn. i’m definately one of the guys who is against the signing of TO, but even he makes more sense than moulds.

Chandus & lou c:

I can’t see the Jets keeping Abraham, they must be thinking they can line up a trade somehow. I read something about if he really wants to stick it to them and put the hurt on the organization he could sign the Franchise Tender while they are still over the cap to force a trade and they would lose bargaining leverage in the trade. Then I have heard the opposite case, that he could hold out like he did last year to demand a trade and that would diminish his value some. I don’t know what to believe, but the one thing I really don’t understand is when the Jets have to turn in his signed tender to the league office. That matters because if they are still over the salary cap the league could either reject the one year tender contract or penalize the Jets somehow.

Mr. Bill, you seem to know a lot about the cap…how are the Jets able to do this without incurring a penalty?

I am totally against trading our draft picks too unless we’re gettin more draft picks. we all know what happens when we trade our picks. joey galloway happens. drew henson happens.

Chandus,

I have seen Wallace projected as a 5th to 7th round player. Even still I’d like to see us get those 8. We can always trade up to get him.

Fabini would be nice, but I’d rather take a shot at one of the younger guys we have mentioned here. Backus and Barry intrigue me, as well as Jordan Black. Parcells is the best at finding good offensive linemen when other teams have given up on them.

I wouldn’t want Abraham. Just too much cost. I would rather draft Lawson, and move Ware to the strong side. .. Lawson, I like a lot. He is very fluid, and any team drafting him is getting a good player. It may end up being us.

Eric R:

No offense dude, I respect you and all, but you don’t want Abraham because of cost, and you do want Charles Woodson to play FS?

It’s all relative to what impact a player can have on a team, the value, not necessarily the “cost”. Abraham would immediately put this defense amongst the elite of the NFL. At best, Woodson would help an already very talented defensive secondary. I’m not saying go for either one of them, but if I had the choice I’d take definitely take the Abraham option. I like the idea of Lawson & Ware…but I like the idea of Ware & Abraham a LOT better.

alright boys i think i’ve honed in to what i want. i think we should trade down. and i’d like a trade with the jets. our first for their second and fifth this year plus a first next year (aka the losman deal). with that i think we should grab fabini and sowell too. then our draft looks a lil like this. i’m diggin some of your input so hopefully you see a lil compromising in here
2nd rounder (jets): best LB available could be anyone from Bobby Carpenter, Demeco Ryans, Thomas Howard, Manny Lawson, Kamerion Wimbley
2nd rounder: go OL!! jonathan scott/max jean giles/charles spencer/deuce latui/nick mangold
3rd rounder: kai parham would be nice but im thinkin we can get Ahmad Brooks in the supplemental-losing a 5th or 6th next year-my pick is pat watkins or anthony smith, FS
5th rounder: 5th rounder: Montavious Stanley, NT
5th rounder: Will Allen, T (HOOK EM!)
6th rounder: I’m glad Scott Wright mentioned him (my fav Reggie McNeal, WR/QB)
7th rounder: TE cooper wallace/quinn sypniewski
Next year with our high first rounder we take Teddy Ginn (how sweet it is!)

Can any of you see this happening. Looks like wishful thinking to me but that’s what this blog is about. Opinions.
Trade Ellis,Glover,18th pick and next years 3rd rounder for Abraham, the Jets 2nd rounder this year and 1st rounder next year.

lilbeast,

Can’t see it happening unless one thing happens: DeAngelo Williams falls to 18, which I doubt. They wouldnt throw in a next year 1st rounder tho, maybe 2nd. Cutler at 4 and DeAngelo at 18 is a Jets dream, but it won’t happen.

By doing this we could get our OLB in Abraham
Jets 2nd round #35-OG Max Jean Gilles
Our 2nd round #49-TE Anthony Fasano
3rd round-ILB Kai Parham
5th round-S Greg Blue/S Anthony Smith
5th round-NT Babatunde Oshinowo
6th round-QB Reggie McNeal

By doing this we could get our OLB in Abraham
Jets 2nd round #35-OG Max Jean Gilles
Our 2nd round #49-TE Anthony Fasano
3rd round-ILB Kai Parham
5th round-S Greg Blue/S Anthony Smith
5th round-NT Babatunde Oshinowo
6th round-QB Reggie McNeal

Then with our high 1st round pick next year since the Jets will suck this year we have a chance of getting Brady Quinn.

Does anybody have ESPN insider? It says that Mel Kiper is saying the Boys will go safety first. Can someone summerize his thinking on this?

lou c:

Someone asked about Santonio Holmes to the Cowboys. Kiper’s response:

I don’t know if Holmes will still be there when Dallas picks because he should be the first wide receiver off the board. Dallas also needs a free safety, so someone like Ko Simpson would be a good pick. Dallas also needs a right tackle (someone like McNeill) and an inside linebacker. Dallas will be able to go in a number of directions in the first round when it picks 18th overall.

I don’t think his opinion is more about the flexibility that Dallas has with FS, WR or RT.

lou c:

At one point last year, Kiper had the Cowboys taking Brodney Poole, the Safety from OU with their second pick. Then he changed it to Roddy White a few weeks later, the WR who I think ended up with the Falcons.

Funny thing too because I recall seeing some mock drafts last year that had the Cowboys taking either Troy Williamson or Mike Williams with their first pick in the 1st round and that Bullocks guy from Nebraska’s big brother with the 2nd pick in the 1st round.

These draft “experts” are determined to have the Cowboys draft a WR or a Safety in the 1st round. They must not think the way Parcells does about 1st round draft picks.

Mock drafts are funny to look at in retrospect. So many mocks last year had the Cowboys taking Derrick Johnson from UT with their first pick. I was completely on that bandwagon for about a month after the signing of Anthony Henry took away the idea of drafting a CB first, and until a week or two before the draft when it became clear that it would be either Merriman or Ware. All during March last year I would have swore Johnson would be a Cowboy. I was excited about it too after watching him in college, he was phenomenal.

I found another mock that had the Cowboys taking a Safety with their second 1st round pick, Anthony Davis from Georgia. I now remember him being touted as a big time prospect for the Cowboys too. These mocks love the idea of 1st round safeties for our team.

Makes me wonder a few things:

1. If Parcells and JJ had taken a WR and/or a Safety in the 1st round last year what would last season have been like record-wise?

2. Could Bobby Carpenter be this year’s version of Derrick Johnson? Specifically, a very successful collegiate LB who seems like a perfect fit for the team and is very highly rated on a lot of draft board…but the Cowboys pass on taking him because they are looking for more of a pure pass rusher? I hope not, because I think Carpenter looks like the real deal, but it makes me wonder a bit if Lawson isn’t in the cards too.

Could Al Singleton make the switch to inside linebacker to help provide depth and add some experience to the James/Burnett/Shanle trio we currently have. While he’s not a spectactular player he seems smart and solid and Parcells seems to like him. If this could happen we would not need to look for a ILB in FA or the draft.

sterling, those mock drafts had the Cowboys picking another SS, which is patently ludicrous.

By the way, Jacob Rogers is making a comeback, boys. He’s reporting to Cowboys mini camp.
That ought to throw a wrench in yer plans.

Raf,
Have you heard anything on the status of the players that were on IR this year and how their rehab is going and the prognosis on returning of Beriault, Thornton, Rogers and Blade to the team. Rogers was suppose to be gone but is still around, same could be said of Blade, who if he ever got his head screwed on straight, might make a good NT.

joey2zs:

Good info, bro.

Man, you made my day…not only were all the draft experts predicting a 1st round Safety to play along with Pro Bowl Roy, they all were predicting SS’s, the same position. Makes perfect sense. That’s up there with Kiper’s first mock of 2006 having the Cowboys taking Jimmy Williams and converting him from CB to FS.

Then you really make my day…we get the Offensive Tackle made of glass back. Nobody wants that man to make it as a RT for the Cowboys more than me…but I sure hope the Powers That Be don’t count on that happening.

Anyone else heard about Antonio Bryant finally talking real candid about the spat he had with Parcells? Evidently, he spoke glowingly about how much he learned and matured as a man under Parcells…LOL. I wonder if Cash, Rich, and AW have read about that one yet.

Sterling,

The Jets do not have to worry about any cap penalties until the new league year starts on March 3. They have from now until then to do whatever they have to do to be compliant with the rules. I am not familiar enough with their situation to speculate on how they will accomplish that feat, but I suspect it will be a very painful process.

I don’t see how Ahmad Brooks can get into this draft. The deadline for applying has long passed.

I believe he will have to enter a supplemental draft.

Mr. Bill:
I kind of know, first they will cut Fabini and Pete Kendall, which are the top paid OLineman on the team. They will also cut Mawae, Gragg and Sowell to get them near the estimated cap limit (near $94M) and they will get beneath the cap restructuring Pennington’s deal and they will se if the can work something with Shaun Ellis’s and probably Laveranues Coles’s deals.

Chandus,

Thanks for the info.

Do you really think they will keep Pennington? If Pennington will agree to a drastic pay cut, that will work. But, I thought he was resisting the pay cut they needed. I’m not so sure a simple restructuring will do the trick, with the cap limitation of 4 years on pro-rating bonuses.

At any rate, I don’t think I will be putting any money on the Jets to win the next Super Bowl.

It’s going to be a very tight squeeze, anyway they cut.