Hey BTB-ers, I'd like you to join me in welcoming back an old friend who used to make people very happy (and probably still brings a smile to Chia's face whenever he looks at the FPOTW trophies on his mantelpiece), but has been away for a little while, scared off by the frenzied proliferation of player profiles, top-ten position lists and mock drafts. Yes, I'm talking about our FanPost of the Week award, who makes a triumphant return to the bright lights with a deluxe edition dedicated to all of the post-draft frustration euphoria, and analysis that has filled BTB's pages in recent days.
Okay, lets get to it. I think its safe to say that the most perplexing, unpredictable, and therefore divisive segment of the draft was the second day, which featured rounds two and three. In both instances, the Cowboys drafted players or positions--or both--that had Cowboys Nation up in arms. A perfect example of this was offered by one of our west coast brethren, BigDinLA, who sought to temper any second-day enthusiasm with a post attacking all the "Koolaid drinkers" who failed to see that Dallas had failed to address their pressing issues in the interior of the offensive line. Other posters echoed this theme: the draft didn't address what they perceived to be the Cowboys' primary needs. BTB member JimmyJohnson gave the draft a "D" for precisely this reason.
more after the jump...
While some fans disliked the choice of Bruce Carter at # 40, it was the third round selection of DeMarco Murray that got Dallas fans all riled up. Thankfully, several of our members authored posts analyzing the pick that were intelligent and well-reasoned enough to talk the rest of us down off the ledge. The first BTBer into this fray was Bermystar, who asked us all to Stop and think, just for a minute about the selection. This was soon followed by one of I am Ironman!!'s superb "How They WIll Fit" posts on Murray, in which he points out that, because the ex-Sooner has the same general skill set that the Cowboys' lead back possesses:
Felix and Murray will form that 1-2 punch that this team has been looking for.... Subbing Murray for Felix means no loss in speed, unlike with Tashard or Barber. So in any given set up Dallas will have that "game breaking ability" that either Felix and/or Murray provide.
Indeed, I suspect that this is precisely what motivated the pick. Dallas needed a player with whom they can run the same offense--an thus become less predictable when they change personnel groupings. As if this wasn't enough, my BTB "pet cat," ChiaCrack, offered up an excellent summation articulating why Murray will end the Cowboys' third-round drafting woes (warning: the list of past failures Crack shares is not for the faint of heart).
As our resident draft expert, Chia also crafted the oobligatory post-draft breakdown of Dallas' 2011 selections. As per usual, his stuff is informed, has a nice personal touch and includes some great images of the soon-to-be-Cowboys. One of my favorite voices in the comments threads--and a dude I'm inclined to like merely because of his choice of member name--Omar Little follows suit with a similarly first-person analysis of the recent draft weekend. Omar: your stuff is good, man; we'd like to see you bring it a little more often...Indeed.
This brings me to this week's heavy hitters. To my mind, the most impressive narrative of a Cowboy fan's experience over the course of this year's draft was penned by Ekijoh who, in a terrific FanPost titled "The Big 'D' in Big D," relates the excitement before a pick is announced, the moment of uncertainty immediately following the announcement and the subsequent "coming to terms" with the selection. As I read it, I thought: "was this guy in my head all weekend? That's exactly how I process the draft!"
Those of us who rationalize the draft in this way may indeed be working to put a positive spin on the proceedings--and have been derided for being Koolaid drinkers by the skeptical multitudes (a group in which I normally take up residence--save on draft weekend, when hope is at its highest point). This week's top FanPost takes up this moniker and runs with it. Please put your hands together for Chandus, who gives us a FPOTW, "Koolaid? Cool, please," in which he shrewdly reasons his way through the draft, analyzing the various picks, the thought behind them and the effects these players might have on the roster and game-day strategies in 2011. Chandus makes a strong case for the influx of comparatively nimble offensive linemen (with video!) and intelligently discusses the running back depth chart.
Congrats, Chandus! We hope you enjoy your moment in the sun as much as we enjoyed your post.