Get the local flavor on each of our draft picks. Here are articles from local papers talking about each player getting drafted.
Anthony Spencer | James Marten | Isaiah Stanback | Doug Free | Nick Folk | Deon Anderson | Courtney Brown | Alan Ball
As silverblue5 noted in a diary, Keyshawn is toast in Carolina.
Speaking of silverblue5, he was the winner of the Burt D draft challenge, well, he tied with Burt D, but was graciously declared the winner by Burt D. For his winning picks, he gets some time on the front page. Below he discusses the reasons he picked Anthony Spencer and Courtney Brown.
silverblue5's article below:
Regarding the Burt-D Challenge, I gotta admit, I got lucky... and my selections were based on how Jerry drafts since he fired Jimmy J. Heck, I only got two right -- out of 15 -- so it was no big deal. And I was tied with Burt-D. That just goes to show you what a crap shoot the draft is and how tough it is to be "on target" with certain things. Plus, it's almost like trying to pick 6 numbers on a lotto ticket game.
With the two picks that I luckily chose correctly, here are the reasons I made those choices:
- Anthony Spencer - Since historically the Cowboys don't pick WRs in the first round and with the trend being defense since like '97, I felt it would realistically be either a CB, LB or D-lineman -- although, I did hear that King Jerry was intrigued with Dwayne Bowe a couple of days ago. Because of that, I listed Bowe in the challenge anyway -- just in case the unexpected happened. I really didn't think we'd go safety in the first round -- unless Reggie Nelson somehow dropped to us -- because we signed Hamlin and selected Watkins in the '06 draft (though, like Terry, I felt that Nelson would've been better than Hamlin and Watkins for the near and distant future). Plus, with the Phillips 34, I felt that better pass-rushing pressure would be more of a solution than FS play to cure the '06 defensive collapse -- in my opinion. Furthermore, with Wade Phillips having Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips in SD last year, I felt that Spencer could be the Phillips as Ware is the Merriman. Ironically, Phillips and Spencer both played at Purdue and Ware and Merriman came into the league together in the same draft. At first, my "fantasy pick (as opposed to realistic -- not included in the challenge, however)" was Adam Carriker. But I thought that either San Francisco or St. Louis would nab the stud DE out of Nebraska. It turned out to be the Rams. My second "fantasy pick" -- who was my first entry in the challenge -- was Bowe. However, as we got closer to the draft, I remembered that it's been so long -- not since Alvin Harper in over like 15 years ago -- that we selected a receiver in round 1, so I began salivating at the thought of two young, aggressive, QB-killers as bookends for years to come for our Beloved Boyz. When we traded our #22 pick away for Cleveland's 2008 first rounder I didn't know how to feel. I was stoked that we'll have two #1s next season, but deflated 'cuz I really wanted Spencer. Honestly, I started gettin' dejected, because I didn't think that KC, NE, Carolina, and esp. not Philly would trade with us if we wanted to get back into the first. Then, when one of the guys here at BTB said that we'd traded to get back in -- and it was with the Eagles of all teams -- I hit my knees and prayed again that the King would be smart and get Spencer (before the first trade with Cleveland, I was hoping and praying that we'd select Spencer) . And when the Commish made the announcement, I went crazy insane, ecstatically ballistic, typing YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!! in the post a comment section of the first draft post. I honestly cannot remember the last time that Jerry -- without Bill or Jimmy -- picked someone I "liked/wanted/felt Dallas had to have" in the 1st round. Plus, we still have the Browns #1 for 2008. Here's to them having the worst record in '07. I wanna be singing "Cleveland Sucks, Cleveland Sucks" by the end of this upcoming regular season.
- Courtney Brown -- This was another case where I again got lucky. Even though I wanted the King to take a CB higher -- preferrably in either the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th round -- I thought that Brown would be the 2nd corner Jerry would take and I felt it might've come in Round #4 or #5. I never saw highlights on this DB, but I liked the writeup on him on nfldraftcountdown.com - "Good size & bulk. Timed speed is excellent. An outstanding leaper. A playmaker with good hands and ball skills. Has top-notch intangibles. Can also contribute on special teams. Has a lot of upside and potential. Stands 6-1 3/8, 200 lbs, his 40 time was in the low 4.3's with a 41 1/2 inch vertical leap. A workout warrior. Intriguing late-round developmental guy." I remember the draft where Jones totally reached for corner, drafting three -- Dwayne Goodrich, Kareem Lattimore and Mario Edwards... talk about whiffin'. The King struck out with that 'cuz none of them produced enough to stay for very long. I think Edwards had the longest tenure of the trio -- maybe two seasons... but I digress. Long story short, Jones wasn't about to do that again. When I saw that no CBs had been taken going into Round 6, I didn't know what to expect. I was at Frankie's Ribs having lunch after church with my family -- and looking up at the Big Flat Screen on the wall -- not knowing at the time any of our 2nd day picks were. While I was there, I saw that we got Stanback and Free. I loved the "Free" pick (man, I thought I put him down, but I guess I didn't... crap, that would've given me three correct picks), and I was originally perplexed with the Stanback selection. I was also pissed, because I wanted Aundrae Allison (even though I didn't list him in my Burt-D challenge) -- who was the highest-rated WR left going into Day 2 -- or I would've liked one of the corners who weren't picked in Day 1: Fred Bennett, Kenny Scott, David Irons, or CJ Gaddis. I didn't find out we picked Brown until I woke up from my nap on my couch at home -- with the NFL Network on my TV at the time and my wife & two daughters out of the house -- later that afternoon. Although I was happy -- but not as overjoyed -- with this pick as I was with Spencer, I did feel that maybe we could've gotten a possible "steal" in Courtney Brown. Whatever, he could just be a camp body as a lot of people have stated.
To be truthful, by the end of the draft on Sunday, I knew that my Spencer and Brown picks were right. However, I couldn't remember all of my other selections. And I felt that surely one of my other BTB bruthas had to have gotten at least four or five. I guess this was like a lotto game called "Pick 2," and I got lucky and won.
All right, Burt-D, what do I win? Just send me a box of "Little Debbie's Swiss Cake Rolls" and I'll be satisfied. They sell 'em at the Dollar Store, btw -- heh, heh.
Nah, just kidding. That was actually kinda fun... as was everything leading up to the draft. Let's make it an annual BTB.com tradition. Anyway...Thanks Burt D and Thanks Grizz. BTB Nation ROCKS!!!