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Dr. Z picks Santonio Holmes for Cowboys but changes his mind

Dr. Z tells some interesting tales in his mock draft. Not content to just put up a name and a brief explanation of the guys skills or whatever, he gives you some inside information as to why he picked these particular players. For instance, check out his Cowboys pick.

No. 18 COWBOYS: I gave them SANTONIO HOLMES, WR, OHIO STATE, only because when I talked to someone in the organization he asked me, ever so gently, "Where do you have Holmes going?" That, to me, is always the tip-off. When they ask that, give the guy to them, slam dunk, no questions asked. Now I have second thoughts. Why do they need another receiver after they got Terrell Owens? Beats me. If I had it to do over again, I'd give them Bunkley or one of the linebackers, or maybe even Nick Mangold, the center.

Yesterday the DFW S-T had an article on DeMarcus Ware and his recollections of his rise last year in the draft. Couple of interesting parts:

Mayock said players who have the potential to make a Ware-like rise in the 2006 draft after not being highly thought of before the season are North Carolina State linebacker Manny Lawson, who the Cowboys are looking at with the 18th overall pick, and Florida State defensive end Kamerion Wimbley.

"Lawson is the guy who is white hot right now," Mayock said. "I gave him a third-round grade, too, before the season. Now he is between 12 and 20. He lit it up at the combine. He ran a 4.4 [seconds] in the 40."

I'm nervous about Lawson, everybody who reads this blog knows that. I'm not so nervous that I think he'll be a bust, but if he is going to play the strong-side he's going to have to gain weight. The article mentions that even Ware, who plays the weak-side, was asked to put on weight to play as a 3-4 linebacker.

"It was like a platform for me," Ware said. "I got up to 250 [pounds] and they asked if I could gain more weight. So I got up to 255 at the combine. I ran well with it. I moved well with it. They [scouts] were like, maybe he can do this. I learned it was not about pub and media hype. It was about how you play. As long you get out there and play, you will be all right."

Most reports have Lawson somewhere around 240 lbs. If Dallas wants him they must be convinced that he can put on the weight without affecting his game.

OK, back to Ware, here's the kind of talk I love to see from a second year player.

"I have been working all off-season," Ware said. "I have gained weight. But mainly I have studied. I have learned formations. I have watched what I did wrong last year. I want to be more instinctive so I can just play without thinking."

As far as on-field work goes, Ware said he is using his hands more as a pass rusher, dropping into coverage and re-routing receivers.

"I was more of an upfield rush guy, I didn't use my hands," Ware said. "Now I am upfield, but I use my hands more. I will use my power and my quickness. Anybody can stop speed. Just cut it off. I need to do stuff to counter that."

Again, I'm not saying Lawson is a bad pick, but these are the kind of growing pains he'll go through in making the transition to a 3-4 linebacker.

Nick Eatman takes on the QB's in this article. The only question is will Dallas spend a pick in the later rounds for a QB. Jerry Jones seems to give us an answer.

"I think with Bledsoe at the juncture he is in his career, we would be looking at what we're going to be doing in the future at some point - not this year," Jones said. "And I don't want to imply not next year or even maybe the next year. But this would be the time to be looking into the future. We may have it right here - where our future QB is. He may be right in house right now. So that is a factor."

A QB in the draft looks doubtful this year.

Reports of drafting Charlie Whitehurst may also be moot now. Check out this blurb from ESPN Insider (sub. required).

Whitehurst has had a lot of late workouts with teams that figure to be looking for a quarterback in the second round, ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli reports. The son of former Green Bay quarterback David Whitehurst, Charlie seems to have recovered from late-season arthroscopic shoulder surgery and is throwing the ball well again. Whitehurst has terrific pocket stature and a lot of tools.

If Whitehurst is going that high, there's no way the Cowboys draft him. Also from the ESPN Insider:

[Charles] Spencer is now rated on many boards as the No. 3 prospect at guard, behind Davin Joseph of Oklahoma and Georgia's Max Jean-Gilles, and could go higher in the second round than anticipated, ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli reports.

His game was hurt somewhat by the fact he had to play left tackle in 2005, to help solidify the Panthers' offensive line, and by some weight problems. But his weight seems to be under control now and scouts see him as a real in-line tough guy.

Now there's a group of three guys that Dallas should be looking real hard at in the second round. We need help in the middle of the line, let's hope that one of the three are still available at #49.

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