Cowboys news: Everyone has a last-minute opinion on what the Cowboys should do in the draft

Possible Pick: Smith Would Fill LB Need, But Likely An Early 1st-Rounder -Rob Phillips- Dallas Cowboys
Roquan Smith is such a rare player and the Cowboys are looking for linebacker help, should they just trade up for the best one in the draft?

How He Helps The Cowboys:

Smith’s instinctive ability to diagnose plays, run and make tackles might draw Sean Lee comparisons. Lee is an All-Pro player when healthy, and Smith might have that type of future in the league as a weak-side or middle linebacker. It’s no secret the Cowboys need linebacker depth after losing Anthony Hitchens and Kyle Wilber in free agency. But Smith seems unlikely to be around for the Cowboys to consider at No. 19 overall.

Dallas Cowboys Mock Draft (Finale): It’s all about the value in the Cowboys mock finale -Michael Sisemore- Blogging The Boys
This is it...the final mock before the real deal hits us. The Cowboys go for value.

In a draft like this where quarterbacks could very well push good talent down, there’s a chance that the Cowboys will be staring at a few players they really like. However, like and love are two different things which is why it really makes a lot of sense for the following:

Cowboys trade pick 19 (875 points) to the Patriots for picks 23 + 95 (880 points)

Dallas traded down four spots but picked up an extra third that can come in handy should they look for more deals. The first-round pick is about value, though the linebackers are still around, this front office is not spending a first-round pick, just yet, on a linebacker that may not start immediately. They need impact and the biggest and smartest move is to help the young quarterback.

Pick 23 (From NE): Cowboys select James Daniels, G/C, Iowa (Brugler: 18th)

Analysis: Not every Cowboys’ fan is going to walk away with elation from AT&T Stadium this Thursday night with this unsexy pick but it’s still a good move. The value here is tremendous when you pencil Daniels in at starting left guard not only because of his supreme athleticism but because how well he fits the zone blocking scheme. Point blank, when the Cowboys are dominant up front, they dominate their competition, and we’ve seen the alternative. Here’s to five years of getting another top road-grader playing below the market price.

The Dallas Cowboys have secondary needs but maybe not holes - Todd Archer- ESPN
Though a lot of folks would like to see a safety addition or two, the Cowboys have covered themselves well in that area.

Draft need: There is always need to take secondary players, but the Cowboys have covered themselves fairly well at the position in terms of talent and contractual status.

Having picked up Jones’ fifth-year option, the Cowboys do not have a regular contributor with an expiring contract after the season.

The NFL draft is not just about the current year but the future as well. At No. 19, the Cowboys could see one of the top corners available fall to them, which could be too much value to pass up. The mid to late rounds have sub-package players available.

Of note: The Cowboys have selected at least one defensive back in every draft since 2006.

If Cowboys can't trade up to draft Derwin James on Thursday, cut a deal for Earl Thomas on Friday -Tim Cowlishaw- SportsDay
Will the Cowboys actually make the move everyone's been talking about since Christmas Eve in 2017?

If it doesn’t happen, then Seahawks safety Earl Thomas comes into play on the second day. Seattle doesn’t have a second-round pick. While the Rams won the division and the 49ers are climbing back into contention, Seattle has taken a big step back this offseason with the losses of Richard Sherman, Michael Bennett, Paul Richardson and others.

Seattle needs to get younger and needs a pick. I think by Friday the Cowboys can get Thomas for no more than a second-rounder. At 28, he should have more Pro Bowls in his future though probably not as many as James. Initially, I thought getting Thomas for a 2 and a 3 would be a good second day for the Cowboys. Circumstances could make it an even better one now as the price on Thomas falls.

Dez Bryant not expected to sign until after NFL draft -Kevin Patra- NFL.com
The former Cowboys' standout receiver hasn't found a home and it may be a little while before he does as all eyes are on the draft.

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday that Bryant isn’t expected to sign prior to the NFL draft, which opens Thursday, per sources informed of the decision. Rapoport added that the ex-Dallas Cowboys receiver could wait a week or two before finding a landing spot.

Bryant was released less than two weeks ago, extremely late in the offseason process for a veteran to hit the open market.

The Baltimore Ravens emerged as an early favorite to land the former Pro Bowl wideout, but the team elected to sign restricted free agent Willie Sneadaway from New Orleans instead.

Cowboys' Jerry Jones rules out any Dez Bryant return to Dallas- Scott Gleeson- USA Today
The Cowboys are moving on without any potential reunion with their former receiver, Jerry Jones closed that door.

“I think a nice crisp time to call it a day is the way to do this,” Jones told reporters of moving on from Bryant, via The Dallas Morning News.

”I think we need to keep this real crisp and the lines real bright. Consequently, we need to move on knowing that we don’t have Dez. And that sounds a little intangible, but it’s a little more than that.”

Jones added that Bryant’s release “was as good a time as any from the end of the season.”

Two Dak-friendly wide receivers the Cowboys could target in Round 3 -Dane Brugler-SportsDay
Dane Brugler has two guys in mind that could help Dak Prescott flourish and you don't even have to get them in the top two rounds.

Brugler: If the Cowboys pass on WR in the first two rounds, two potential targets stand out in Round 3 as Dak-friendly: Penn State’s DaeSean Hamilton and UCF’s Tre’Quan Smith. Hamilton is one of the best route-runners in the draft, always making himself available in his routes. Smith plays big and gives the quarterback a physical target up and down the field. If Dallas waits even longer, Boise State’s Cedrick Wilson or Kansas State’s Byron Pringle are names to keep in mind in the mid-to-later rounds.

Mailbag: Trading Up For A Receiver? Most Valuable Player In The Draft? Broaddus & Helman- Dallas Cowboys
On the eve of the 2018 NFL Draft, Bryan Broaddus and David Helman took the time to answer some last minute questions.

Say the Cowboys select a linebacker in the first round. What would it take for them to trade up for one of Indy’s picks at 36 or 37 to possibly select DJ Moore? Also, do you see Moore still being available or already taken before then?

Bryan: In our mock draft we had him going to Carolina in the first. If you want to get to Indianapolis, you’d have to part with your third-round pick, which is an overpay -- but try and work something coming back from them to equal out the deal. It’s possible to do but will take some discussion.

David: If the Cowboys don’t take a receiver at No. 19, it’s reasonable to think they’ll have to trade up to get the guy they want. I don’t know if D.J. Moore will fall that far, but I could imagine Courtland Sutton or D.J. Chark going in that range. They’d likely have to give up pick No. 81 to get up into that part of the draft, so they’d better feel confident about the guy.

Cowboys draft rumors: Some final NFL Draft thoughts - can Dallas Cowboys capitalize? -Tom Ryle- Blogging The Boys
It’s almost here, and it looks like it may be kinda weird. Can the Cowboys strike while the iron is hot?

The runs will be crucial for the Cowboys.

We already expect the QB run early, but what other positions will also start to fly off the boards? As mentioned above, interior OL is not a good one. OTs, however, would be good for the Cowboys. Wide receiver is hard to say, since there looks to be talent throughout the draft, but an early run could force their hand on day two if they don’t go that way in the first round. Running back and cornerback, on the other hand, would be great positions to see have early runs, since like QB, those are not priority needs for Dallas. Oh, and maybe the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will grab a kicker early again. (OK, probably not.)

It’s just as important to have the right positions go slowly. Defensive tackle, for instance, would be a great one to see some talent hanging around longer than expected. It is a likely one, as well, since many teams are not as big on spending high picks there. That could also come into play at linebacker. To be honest, the prediction above about guards and centers going so early runs counter to recent trends, so maybe we won’t see that.

The real problem is that we don’t know. But we will soon find out.

Jon Machota's seven-round mock draft: Cowboys get their wide receiver, but will they trade for Earl Thomas? -Jon Machota- SportsDay
If you got 'em unload those mocks because it all turns real today!

Round 1, Pick 19: Trade back

Trade back with New England. In exchange, the Patriots give the Cowboys picks 31 and 63. Similar to Travis Frederick’s draft in 2013, the Cowboys move back and gain an additional Day 2 pick. The Patriots see UT-San Antonio pass rusher Marcus Davenport falling. To get him, they need to get in front of new Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia, the former Patriots defensive coordinator.

Side note: I think most BTB members would be cool with a trade back but Machota picks Courtland Sutton there and there seems like more value might be left on the board.

Reliving the emotions of past Dallas Cowboys draft nights - Todd Archer- ESPN
Here's a nice look at some current and former Cowboys talking about their emotions when they got the opportunity of a lifetime.

JASON WITTEN

Third round, No. 69 overall, 2003

Only one tight end in the history of the NFL has more catches than Witten, but he wasn’t the first tight end taken in 2003. He thought he would join Peyton Manning in Indianapolis as a first-rounder. He wasn’t the second, third or fourth tight end, either. But he found a perfect home with the Cowboys and Parcells.

“I don’t think anybody ever gets drafted as high as they hope. I think certainly that was the case for me. You had all the emotion, but you really don’t know what you don’t know. There was raw emotion. Maybe a little bit of motivation seeing guys taken at my position before I went. But ultimately, I don’t really remember any of that. I really remember that phone call I got from Jerry and that Southern drawl asking me if I wanted to put a star on my helmet. That’s all the motivation I needed. Just an opportunity. And I was determined to make the most of that opportunity. ... It’s worked out.”