Cowboys News & Notes: Should Cowboys Trade Down From #4?

Cowboys should be leery of trading down - Todd Archer, ESPN
The option of trading down from the fourth overall spot has gained some traction among parts of the Cowboys fan base, and Archer addresses it in his latest mailbag.

I would be leery of trading down. I was in favor of them moving down in 2011 in a deal with Jacksonville when they took Tyron Smith at No. 9 because they would have received the 16th and 49th picks in the draft. Having two high picks is better than one, right?

Clearly, I would've been wrong because Smith has developed into one of the best tackles in the game. So why not do it here? From the early intel that I've received about this draft, there are a lot of good players, but not a lot of great players. If you trade down, you move away from the top players in the evaluation process. Perhaps I would be OK moving down a few spots, but nothing out of the top 10 for sure.

There's also this -- every time people talk about trading down, I ask this question: Who will a team want to trade up to get? I don't know which prospect just yet who could command a ransom to move to the No. 4 pick.

Why I think ship has sailed on DeMarco Murray rejoining Cowboys - Matt Mosley, SportsDay
Mosley tackled fan questions in a chat on Friday, and answered a question about what needs to happen for DeMarco to come back to the Cowboys.

Well, the Philadelphia Eagles just need to release him. The problem with that is he would be a $13 million cap hit. And it's hard to imagine a team trading for him coming off such a poor season. The Cowboys were very pleased with Darren McFadden this past season, but he'll need a complementary back. I think the ship has sailed on Murray. Him being a bust in Philly is about the only break the Cowboys caught this season. Howie Roseman will have to get really creative to move Murray's contract, and I don't see it happening.

Cowboys need more than Sean Lee at linebacker - Shawn Kairschner, WFAA.com
Kairschner takes a dispassionate look at the Cowboys' linebacking corps and argues that linebacker remains high on the Cowboys' to-do list.

The Cowboys have been trying to find the right linebacker combo since they switched to the 4-3 in 2013. They have moved players around, picked up free agents (Ernie Sims, Justin Durant, Rolando McClain), and dedicated draft capital (2013: Davonte Holloman; 2014: Hitchens; 2015: Wilson). Still, these moves have functioned largely as stop-gap or depth measures; none was designed to add a blue-chip quality starter.

But that failure hasn’t been for lack of trying. In the 2014 draft, they were preparing to hand in Ohio State LB Ryan Shazier’s card when he was taken by the Steelers one spot in front of them. At the 15th pick. Last year, they took close looks but never had the opportunity to draft athletic, rangy LBs Eric Kendricks, Shaq Thompson, and Kwon Alexander.

In 2016, I’d expect Dallas to continue to work to achieve what they want: a fast, physical, playmaking linebacker corps akin to that found in Carolina. It remains a work in progress.

Could the Cowboys Draft the Next Cam Newton: Paxton Lynch? - Newy Scruggs, NBC 5 DFW
Scruggs caught up with Paxton Lynch and asked him to name a current NFL quarterback that plays the game they way he does.

"I think that I'm close to Cam Newton in my opinion. Being big and athletic, those kinda quarterbacks. He's kinda one-of-a-kind, that's how I see myself as well -- 6 foot 7, almost 250 (pounds), but I can run around and throw also," Lynch said.

Most of the media compares Lynch to Pittsburgh's "Big Ben" Roethisberger, but he prefers to be compared to Newton.

Jason Witten: Greg Hardy did everything that was asked of him on the field for Cowboys - SportsDay Staff
During an appearance on ESPN Radio, Witten was asked how Hardy fit into the Cowboys' locker room during his first season in Dallas.

"I think Greg, when he came in initially, he did everything that was asked, meaning practice and the way he played," Witten said. "The guy worked his tail off. I think for us as players when he was brought in, I don't think you can really go off of what you don't know. So, we all have that situation when they come into the locker room, do they do that? I thought at times there were challenges that came up for him but I thought overall he came to work and worked his tail off and tried to be the best player he can be."

Witten discusses when retirement might ultimately come for him - SportsDay Staff
In the same interview, Witten talked about if and when he'll retire.

"I always say, if I can't play at a high level I don't want to be a guy that's hanging on. It's been a great ride and it's unbelievable. I take it one year at a time. I love playing. I have high standards for myself and ultimately you want to compete for a championship," Witten said. "So at this point it's just one year at a time. I could say five more years or seven but if you're healthy and I love playing and I love that challenge of trying to get back and being a part of it and being a leader and trying to make a run at it."

Super Bowl 50 gives Cowboys a Super Bowl blueprint; will they follow it? - Rick Gosselin, SportsDay
Every year, we're flooded with articles about what we can learn from that year's two Super Bowl teams, and every year it's something different. This year, defense is the flavor of the day.

Each team has is an elite defense. The Broncos led the NFL in defense, and the Panthers ranked sixth. The Broncos led the NFL in sacks with 52, and the Panthers led in takeaways with 39. Both teams finished in the top 10 in scoring defense -- and it's worth noting that 42 of the last 49 Super Bowl champions finished in the top 10 in scoring defense.

AT&T Stadium stuck waiting in line for Super Bowl - Gil Lebreton, The Star-Telegram
The fluke weather that marred the first and only Super Bowl in Dallas so far shouldn't be a lingering factor in considering Dallas for future Super Bowls, Lebreton writes. The Cowboys have asked to be considered for the 2021, 2022 and 2023 games, but new NFL stadiums keep jumping the line ahead of the Cowboys.

The biggest and best stadium in the NFL shouldn’t have to wait 12 years between Super Bowls.

Tony Romo still debating on having collarbone surgery - Kevin Patra, NFL.com
Romo said he still hasn't made a decision about whether or not to have surgery to reinforce the collarbone he injured twice in 2015.

A CT scan last week showed good bone regeneration, allowing for possible surgery to take place. Romo, who turns 36 in April, said he's still debating whether to have a plate surgically inserted to reinforce the collarbone or a different procedure to help avoid future injury.

No Hall call for T.O., but that doesn't mean he won't be well-received in future - David Moore, SportsDay
Terrell Owens, in his first year of eligibility, did not make the cut from 15 finalists to 10. Owens announced on Twitter that he had not been elected.

Unfortunately I did not make it. CONGRATS to the 2016 HOF CLASS. Thanks to ALL MY FANS for ur unwavering love & support. #ONLYGODCANJUDGEME

— Terrell Owens (@terrellowens) February 7, 2016