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The 2016 NFL Draft is still a long time away, but a couple of big events for scouts and coaching staffs are coming up shortly. First comes the Shrine Bowl, followed by the Senior Bowl, where the Dallas Cowboys will have their coaching staff working with the North squad and getting a whole boatload of first hand information on the players. And that is not all the news to cover today, so let's dive in.
First, a couple of previews of the Shrine Bowl from draft guru Dane Bugler.
2016 Shrine Game: Offensive Preview - CBSSports.com
2016 Shrine Game: Defensive Preview - CBSSports.com
This is the number two college all star game, but there are a lot of players who will be taken in the draft.
Now, on to the big one, the Senior Bowl in Mobile.
Why draft-hungry Cowboys fans need to spend some time online Friday - Brandon George, SportsDay
There is a long history of teams that coach in the Senior Bowl taking a lot of players they saw and especially ones that they coached. While there is some risk of overvaluing these players, there are also real success stories. Stephen Jones sees a chance to benefit.
"We obviously think that's a big plus for us, especially given where we're picking," Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said. "But it really wouldn't matter where we're picking. It's a huge plus to get to coach the Senior Bowl and be around those players and see how our staff will interact with them.
"In my opinion, it gives our staff a little bit of an edge in terms of evaluating those players."
Understatement much there, Stephen?
Broaddus reminds us that there are other positions besides quarterback to watch, and offers up his scouting talents on TCU WR Josh Doctson, La Tech RB Kenneth Dixon, and Houston CB William Jackson III, all players at positions of interest for the Cowboys.
Will Cowboys, others buy hype and take Robert Nkemdiche? - Bob Sturm, SportsDay
Otherwise, on the subject of the draft, the always knowledgeable Sturm reminds us that hype is not always something to put much faith in with his evaluation of Nkemdiche.
What I did not like: Aside from his arrest (you certainly don't want to know that you spent a very high pick on a guy who needs bail money in the morning), there are on field things that are troubling. My main one is production. When we are looking at college defensive players, we must see explosive plays in big numbers. Yes, they are being double-teamed if they are this good, but over the course of a season and a career, there better be enough sack and tackles for loss to show you can be productive at that level before we bet on you at the next level. For Nkemdiche, he played 35 games at Ole Miss and compiled 7 sacks and 19 tackles for loss. We want a ratio of 1.5-2.0 explosives per game. He was well under 1.0 and even in his last season had 10 explosives in 11 games.
Meanwhile, in other news about the Cowboys . . .
If there is any doubt about just how much influence Jerry Jones wields in the league, this is an excellent example of why there shouldn't be. The Sand Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders had engaged Disney chairman and CEO Robert Iger to present their case to jointly build a stadium in Carson.
After Iger left, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones pushed back his swivel chair and stood to address the room.
"He said he paid us. Last time I checked, that money is coming from Disney shareholders, not him," Jones said, touching off laughter.
The moment of levity was a bad omen for the Carson project.
Betty White jokes she's seeing Cowboys owner Jerry Jones at a swingers party - SportsDay Staff
I'll just leave this here without further comment because, well, I'm that kind of guy.
Said White (in a fake phone call to Dez Bryant): "Don't worry Dez, I'll put a good word for you with Jerry Jones. I'm seeing him later at a swingers party."
Meanwhile, there is a little irony in Jones' dissing of the Disney CEO. Long before he bought the team, there were plans to make something much more of Valley Ranch than it actually became, and Disney was part of the plans that never came to pass.
The Cowboys had an option for 200 acres on the backside of the complex, on which (Tex) Schramm wanted to build a complex known as "Show Place."
"We were looking at a major hospitality and entertainment district that was all tied back into our location," (former Cowboys executive Bob Werner) said.
The centerpiece of Show Place was an interactive Cowboys museum. The lockers from the old Forest Lane facility were going to be featured in a "walk-through-the-ages" portion of the museum. There also was going to be a 360-degree, in-the-round theater being developed for the facility by Disney.
Cowboys Draft Targets: Did Dallas 'F-Off For Cal QB Jared Goff? - Mike Fisher, CowboysHQ
Although there are a lot of other positions to look at, the big question for Cowboys fans is whether the team may take the plunge and go after a quarterback. Mike Fisher takes a look at one of the names being linked to the Cowboys, Jared Goff, and includes this bit of wisdom on how things work this time of year.
At this point, Goff seems possibly to go as high as the No. 2 selection to the Cleveland Browns, before the Dallas Cowboys at No. 4. Some think Goff may be the only can't-miss prospect in the 2015 class at the quarterback position, and should be the first QB taken in the draft. I've got college people who believe Memphis' Lynch is also in that class, and now Wentz of North Dakota State is climbing, too ... because that's what happens to QBs when we get to this pre-draft time of the year. (For about the last 15 years, an average of three QBs end up going in the first round ... whether critics liked 'em or not in January.)
Meanwhile, in other team relevant news . . .
New head coaches show Dallas Cowboys right to stay with Jason Garrett - Todd Archer, ESPN
After the 4-12 debacle of last season, there were many who wondered why Jason Garrett still has his job. But Todd Archer reminds us that the grass is not always greener on the other side of that fence. He looks at the hires made to fill the seven coaching vacancies after last season, and asks a simple question.
For all of those who wanted the Dallas Cowboys to make a change at head coach, who would you want among that group over Jason Garrett?
Cowboys' Offensive Line A Solid Unit In 2015 - Ben Grimaldi, CowboysNation
I'll just let the intro to this speak for itself.
If you look long enough for reasons why the Dallas Cowboys underperformed in 2015, the offensive line might be on someone's list. They may point to the running game not being as effective and blaming the loss of Bill Callahan as the culprits for their ‘down year.'
It's a crock of crap. The Cowboys' offensive line was solid this season and was one of the few bright spots for the team.
Finally, a couple of articles that deal with other teams because, well, it's fun.
New York front page declares Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady a 'CLASH OF THE TAINT-ANS' - SBNation.com
The Post always finds a way to take things to a lower level.
The Steelers' season is over and no one is happier than Bengals players - SBNation.com
Nice to see there is no bitterness in this rivalry.