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Trading back might be Dallas Cowboys' best option - Todd Archer, ESPN
Archer reviews some of the names on the Cowboys pre-draft visitor list and concludes that a trade down might be in the cards:
The Cowboys have had other first-round possibilities in for visits, which would suggest they would ponder moving down. Guys such as Paxton Lynch, Shaq Lawson, Vernon Hargreaves and Laquon Treadwell are first-round picks but just not likely at No. 4 overall.
The Cowboys could use more draft picks. Every team could use more draft picks. But in order to move down to acquire more picks, there has to be a player worth grabbing.
Each year you can count quarterback as a player to move up to grab. In the top five, only the Cowboys and Cleveland Browns have high-priority quarterback needs. Would the San Francisco 49ers (seventh) or Philadelphia Eagles (eighth) want to move up to grab a quarterback? Would the Cowboys want to go all the way back to, say, No. 15 and the Los Angeles Rams to make a deal for more picks?
What are the trade-down options? - Bob Sturm, SportsDay
In response to a reader question about what kind of package it would take for the Cowboys to trade out of the No. 4 spot, Sturm lays out some options.
If you look at the point charts, the Cowboys' #4 pick is about the value of the teams who pick around #9-#11 if they were to give you their 1st and 2nd rounders. For instance, Tampa Bay has #9 and #39. New York has #10 and #40. Chicago has #11 and #41. In all three cases, the relative values of those two picks is about the same as the Cowboys' pick at #4. So those would be easy swaps that I assume the Cowboys would be very interested in listening to.
Further, St Louis at #15 has an extra 2nd rounder and if somehow they would offer #15, #43, and #45, the Cowboys would actually make a small profit (maybe they would send back #101 to even it out) and you would then have 4 picks in the Top 45, which would be amazing.
Six options for Cowoys fourth pick in 2016 NFL draft - Bill Barnwell, ESPN
Barnwell assesses six options for the Cowboys fourth overall pick, and thinks trading down might be one of the best options.
Trading down is generally the right thing to do, but it makes even more sense for the Cowboys, given their needs and the nature of this draft. If Ramsey falls to them at four, it would make sense to grab a possible franchise cornerback and try to build a great secondary with consecutive first-round picks, much as the Cowboys did in constructing their impressive offensive line.
Otherwise, though, it behooves the Cowboys to try and refill the depth on their roster by adding additional picks. Cap woes have led them to lose meaningful rotation contributors and valuable reserves in years past like Jason Hatcher and Jermey Parnell, let alone the massive loss of DeMarcus Ware. Dallas's top-heavy roster is always going to make it difficult to shop in free agency, so the primary way for the Cowboys to acquire below-cost talent with upside is going to be through the draft. And the more draft picks Dallas has, the better.
Pursuit of Ezekiel Elliott not a smokescreen - Todd Archer, ESPN
In his latest mailbag, Archer takes a look at Ezekiel Elliott as a game-changer in a potential trade-down scenario.
It would surprise me if the Cowboys take Elliott at No. 4, but I would argue -- and have argued -- he would be worth it. He would be a game-changer for the offense and help the defense. He could do for the Cowboys what DeMarco Murray did in 2014. Trading down for Elliott would be tricky. There are teams in the top 10 that could take Elliott, so the Cowboys would have to be careful as to how far they move back. Last year, Todd Gurley went No. 10 overall despite a serious knee injury. Is Elliott as explosive as Gurley? I don’t know if he has that type of gas, but for the Cowboys' offense he would be perfect.
Cowboys would certainly entertain idea of trading down from No. 4 to select QB Paxton Lynch - Matt Mosley, SportsDay
Mosley writes that while the Cowboys won't draft Lynch at No. 4, they would certainly entertain trade offers that would allow them to take him later in the first round.
Here's who the Cowboys have atop their draft board; who's the top quarterback? - SportsDay Staff
Amid reports about who sits atop the Cowboys draft board, which QB is ranked where, and potential Cowboys interest in trading up, the Dallas Morning News drops this little timely nugget on us.
One thing to keep in mind is that this time in the NFL is known as "lying season." Coaches and general managers are known to float information that disguises their true intentions.
The Cowboys' draft board is likely to be in flux up until draft day.
So much crap about teams eyeing No. 1 pick in #NFL draft. #Browns, #Cowboys, #49ers, #Eagles, #Rams. Draft is weeks away. It's BS right now.
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) April 9, 2016
#Romo tells me he is throwing and ready to go.
— Mark Lane (@therealmarklane) April 8, 2016
VIDEO: Cowboys focused on Buckeyes outside first round - Albert Breer, NFL Videos
NFL Media's Albert Breer explains why the Dallas Cowboys attended Ohio State's pro day and what positions they hope to fill outside the first round of the draft.
"When the Cowboys took their whole staff to Columbus to work out those huys, they were just as focused on some of the guys a little further down the line as they were on guys who might be candidates for that fourth pick."
More I dig on WRs in draft, more I hear OSU's Michael Thomas has best skill set to transition to NFL. Hearing NO, LA, DAL, WAS high on him.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) April 8, 2016
Confident draft prospect De’Vante Harris has Dallas Cowboys pedigree - Charean Williams, The Star-Telegram
De’Vante Harris is the son of former Cowboys receiver Rod Harris and was a four-year starter as a wide receiver at Texas A&M. The Cowboys worked him out yesterday, along with nearly 40 other local prospects at Dallas Day. You can find a list of most of the Dallas Day participants here.
Eagles reportedly have hearts set on Carson Wentz - ProFootballTalk
The Eagles probably didn't move up to the eighth spot just to stay put, and Wentz could be an interesting target for them.
Of course, if the Eagles wanted to make sure they got him, they could make a deal with the Titans, who are openly auctioning the top pick. Otherwise, it might hard to imagine Wentz being there, with the quarterback needy Browns (second overall) and 49ers (seventh) in front of them, along with the needing-an-eventual-replacement Chargers (third) and Cowboys (fourth) creating a traffic jam.
Developing a QB means playing earlier these days - Todd Archer, ESPN
Archer writes that any quarterback picked by the Cowboys will need time to develop.
In recent league history, however, teams are drafting quarterbacks high and playing them right away.
Since 2010, 23 quarterbacks have been drafted in the top 10 rounds and 17 of them started at least 10 games as rookies. Eight started all 16 games. Only three – Jake Locker, Tennessee, 2011; Brock Osweiler, Denver, 2012; and Jimmy Garoppolo, New England, 2013 – didn’t start one game.
Terrell McClain’s Return From Injury Will Also Boost Defensive Line Rotation - Rob Phillips, Dallas Cowboys
Much has been made about the impact the healthy return of Tony Romo, Dez Bryant, and Orlando Scandrick could have on the 2016 season. The Cowboys are getting another starter back from injury in Terrell McClain.
The five-year veteran spent the final 14 games on injured reserve last season after suffering an injury to his toe in Week 2 that required surgery. Linebacker Sean Lee had the same injury in 2012 and missed the final 10 games after surgery. He returned healthy for the start of 2013.
"It’s the same exact injury. It’s the same deal," McClain said last week at the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas with WWE stars and fellow Cowboys teammates as part of Wrestlemania Week. "He told me about his surgery, what I was going to go through. Talking to him actually helped me through it."
Rams And Cowboys Will Be Rare Preseason Game Worth Watching - Bob Harkins, Today's Pigskin
Harkins lists the reasons why the Rams-Cowboys matchup could be one of those rare preseason games that is worth giving a look. It is a surprisingly long list, so make sure to clear your calendars for August 13.