*****Cowboys Off-Season Thread*****

[O-Factor]

Taylor is not worth a 1st day draft pick. But for a 6th, I'd take him.

[O-Factor]

Jones, Jenkins Highlight First Day Of Draft

Nick Eatman - Email
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
April 26, 2008 3:11 PM


IRVING, Texas - After watching nearly three hours of the NFL Draft without making a move, the Cowboys got to work in a big way, picking two players in a span of four picks.

The Cowboys drafted Arkansas running back Felix Jones with the 22nd overall pick, a selection they acquired last year in a draft-day trade with the Cleveland.

But instead of waiting until the 28th spot, their original selection this year, the Cowboys moved back up to No. 25 by trading this year's fifth- and seventh-round picks to Seattle. The Cowboys then grabbed South Florida cornerback Mike Jenkins (5-10, 200), a three-year collegiate starter.

In the second round, the Cowboys picked up Texas A&M tight end Martellus Bennett, who will likely replace Anthony Fasano, who was traded to Miami on Friday along with Akin Ayodele. Bennett should be able to compete for the second tight end behind Pro Bowler Jason Witten. A former basketball player at A&M, Bennett is almost like a bigger wide receiver, who can split out wide and stretch defenses.

Jenkins was the fourth cornerback selected, but some draft experts had him rated as the No. 1 corner in the draft.

The move means the Cowboys aren't solely relying on Pacman Jones, who is expected to be officially traded to Dallas this weekend.

But the Jones of the day is Arkansas' Felix, who is the first tailback drafted by the Cowboys in the first round since Emmitt Smith in 1990.

Jones was the third running back taken off the board, after his Arkansas teammate Darren McFadden (4th overall to Oakland) and Oregon's Jonathan Stewart (12th to Carolina).

He becomes the first Arkansas player drafted since team owner Jerry Jones, a famous Arkansas alum, bought the team in 1989.

The Cowboys chose Jones over Illinois' Rashard Mendenhall, who fell from where many draft analysts had him going in the middle of the first round. Mendenhall went to Pittsburgh with the next pick at No. 23 overall.

Jones led the nation last season with a 8.7 average per carry, rushing for 1,162 yards and 11 touchdowns, despite playing behind McFadden, who rushed for 1,830 yards.

Jones is also a dynamite kick returner, scoring six touchdowns on kickoffs in three seasons, and was named an All-American return specialist in 2005 and 2007.

The Cowboys lost Julius Jones to Seattle in free agency last month, and the only experienced back on the roster is Marion Barber, who is expected to take over as the full-time starter.

Barber rushed for 975 yards last season and earned a Pro Bowl selection, despite not starting one game in the regular season. The Cowboys started Barber in the playoff loss against the Giants when he rushed for 101 yards in the first half and 129 overall.

The last offensive player the Cowboys drafted in the first round was David LaFleur, a tight end from LSU, who went 17th overall. LaFleur only lasted three seasons before a back injury ended his career.

Since then, the Cowboys have drafted eight players with first-round picks, five of which were collegiate defensive ends.

One of those defensive players was a cornerback in Terence Newman, the fifth pick in 2003. Newman and Anthony Henry are still considered the starters at corner, although the Cowboys now have some depth in Jenkins, and possibly Pacman Jones.

The Cowboys lost their third and fourth cornerbacks in free agency when Jacques Reeves (Houston) and Nate Jones (Miami) signed with other clubs.


http://www.dallascowboys.com/news.cf...CBA5E30EC51CD9

[O-Factor]

Im a fan of the Jenkins pick. I was really pleased to draft this guy. But I'd of grabbed Mendenhall before Jones. Jones isn't horrible, and his style will complement Marion. But if we didn't have Marion, I'd be pissed at this pick.

Bennett, Eh. I would of liked to grab Mario Manningham instead. Again, he is not horrible, but I feel WR was more a need than TE.

[samikeyp]

I liked the first two picks..not crazy about the third, I agree with O, they needed to get a WR.

[StylisticS]

They wanted Sweed but he went to Pittsburgh so they went with Bennett. I have no problem with that pick. Not as good a blocker as Fasano but could easily get better. But he is more athletic, very talented, very skilled, and has decent speed. He didn't get to showcase his talent because he played in a horrible offense. I'm a Horn fan and after they leave college, it's all good than.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Bennett's going to be a good one. He's 6'7" and has great hops (think Antonio Gates). Most people don't know much about him because he played in Fran's ty offense at A&M.

I don't get why people knock his blocking, he was the most consistent blocker on the line and I saw him blow people up all the time.

He's going to be great inside the 20s for Romo and jump balls.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Well I guess it's a good thing you're not in charge of the Cowboys drafting decisions

Another wideout?

Let's see...



Austin Miles
Patrick crayton
TGlenn
Sam Hurd
T.O.

And they also have two guys they like waiting in the wings...

Isaiah Stanbeck
Mike Jefferson

Cowboys have seven WRs on the roster, only really two TEs, grabbing a TE (and an athletic one at that) was the no brainer pick.

The only thing that pisses me off about this is now I'm going to have to spring for another Cowboys jersey (already got a little collection going).

[mardigan]

Well I guess it's a good thing you're not in charge of the Cowboys drafting decisions

Another wideout?

Let's see...



Austin Miles
Patrick crayton
TGlenn
Sam Hurd
T.O.

And they also have two guys they like waiting in the wings...

Isaiah Stanbeck
Mike Jefferson

Cowboys have seven WRs on the roster, only really two TEs, grabbing a TE (and an athletic one at that) was the no brainer pick.

The only thing that pisses me off about this is now I'm going to have to spring for another Cowboys jersey (already got a little collection going).

Yea, and they are expecting some things from Stanback this year, so Im cool with them maybe taking a reciever later in the draft, a la Crayton. I really like the Bennett pick a lot, the guy is a freak. And he can be split out like Gates as you mentioned, so he could be another mismatch waiting to happen.


I wasnt crazy about the Jones pick yesterday, as I think Mendenhall will be a better player than Marion Barber, but after thinking of splitting him out wide and his return ability, I understand why he was taken. I would just have liked to see Barber locked up to a long term deal before passing on (to me) a future star.

The Tashard Choice pick was a good one as well, needed to fill out the rb depth.

[mardigan]

Boys take Orlando Scandrick, cb from Boise St. with their 5th rounder.
Eric Walden, de from Middle Tennessee St. in the 6th. This guy looks more like a project who will be converted to an outside lb.
Video of Waldens pro day
http://youtube.com/watch?v=LReubrolrNQ

Some Mike Jenkins highlights
http://youtube.com/watch?v=GrxYjByWLtY

Martellus Bennett
http://youtube.com/watch?v=5P0ljixzaGY

Tashard Choice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0i5NOVLl_s

Felix Jones
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4miK7GnuSAI

[O-Factor]

Bring on the Rookie Free Agents

Players who were not drafted that I would like to see the Cowboys sign

Wesley Woodyard, OLV, Kentucky
Tommy Blake, DE, TCU
D.J. Hall, WR, Alabama
Lance Leggett, WR, Miami (FL)
Adarius Bowman WR OKlahoma State
Sam Keller QB Nebraska
Keilen s DT West Virgina



Players from NFLDraftcountdown Top 252 going undrafted:

#100 Erin Henderson, OLB, Maryland
#111 Wesley Woodyard, OLV, Kentucky
#114 Darrell Robertson, DE, Georgia Tech
#127 Ali Highsmith, OLB, L.S.U.
#132 Gary Guyton, OLB, Georgia Tech
#139 Drew Radovich, OG, USC
#147 Curtis Johnson, OLB, Clark-Atlanta
#157 Jamar Adams, S, Michigan
#160 Tommy Blake, DE, TCU
#162 Kerry Brown, OG, Appalachian State
#169 Eric Young, OG, Tennessee
#175 David Roach, S, TCU
#176 Ezra Butler, OLB, Nevada
#178 William Robinson, OT, San Diego State
#179 Jolonn Dunbar, ILB, Boston College
#183 D.J. Hall, WR, Alabama
#185 Michael Grant, CB, Arkansas
#190 Louis Holmes, DE, Arizona
#196 Anthony Alridge, RB, Houston
#197 Curtis Gatewood, OLB, Vanderbilt
#199 Pedro Sosa, OG, Rutgers
#207 Darius Reynaud, WR, West Virginia
#210 Robert Felton, OG, Arkansas
#211 Dorien Bryant, WR, Purdue
#215 Franklin Dunbar, OT, Middle Tennessee State
#218 Martail Burnett, DE, Utah
#219 J. Leman, ILB, Illinois
#221 Steve Octavien, OLB, Nebraska
#225 Kelly Poppinga, OLB, B.Y.U.
#226 Jonathan Hefney, S, Tennessee
#227 Keilen s, DT, West Virginia
#229 Maurice Purify, WR, Nebraska
#230 us Brown, DE, Mississippi State
#231 Chad Simpson, RB, Morgan State
#232 Ben Moffitt, ILB, South Florida
#233 Dennis Keyes, S, UCLA
#236 Marcus Griffin, S, Texas
#237 Mike Dragosavich, P, North Dakota State
#238 Kyle Wright, QB, Miami (FL)
#241 Lamar Myles, OLB, Louisville
#244 Calvin Dawson, Louisiana-Monroe
#245 Paul Smith, QB, Tulsa
#246 Todd Blythe, WR, Iowa State
#247 Marcus Dixon, DE, Hampton
#248 Darnell Terrell, CB, Missouri
#250 Ryan Grice-Mullen, WR, Hawaii
#251 Lance Leggett, WR, Miami (FL)
#252 Steven Hauschka, K, North Carolina State

[O-Factor]

Dallas Morning News

The Cowboys didn't draft a receiver, but they have added at least one through college free agency - Texas Tech's Danny Amendola.
He had 109 catches for 1,245 yards and six touchdowns for the Red Raiders in 2007. The Cowboys would really like to see Amendola develop into another Tech receiver, Wes Welker, who lit it up last year in New England. They have similar builds - Amendola is 5-10, 183, Welker is 5-8, 185 - and excelled as slot receivers in Mike Leach's offense.
Hopefully we'll get some more undrafted free agents as we go along tonight.





I totally forgot about this guy. Great signing by the 'Boys

[StylisticS]

Dallas had a very very good draft. I wish we got Mendenhall but I understand that logic. I do see him as another Marion as well. Love the Mike Jenkins pick as well. Solid draft for us. Wish we at least addressed the they at least addressed the Wide Receiver position a little bit more but they are high on Stanback for a reason and I like Sam Hurd.

[Pistons < Spurs]

According to the Chiefs board on ESPN, the Cowboys signed undrafted FA:

DE - Marcus Dixon - Hampton

WR - Danny Amendola - Texas Tech

[2centsworth]

I follow Tech closely and Amendola has no where near the speed it takes to play in the NFL. Wes is 100 times better.

[O-Factor]

A friend of mine heard from an OKC sports station that Adarius Bowman has signed with the Cowboys, but I've seen nothing official yet.

[bigdog]

I honestly don't think the Cowboys need another receiver. I mean, like some have said before, there's Owens, Glenn, Crayton, Hurt, Austin, Stanback, and Jefferson.

Jerry Jones and Coach Phillips have talked good about Miles Austin and Isiah Stanback, and it seems like they should be contributing to the offense this year. Even Mike Jefferson, Jerry Jones has talked good about him too.

When Hurd plays, he plays pretty well. I think with an expanded role in the offense, he should be fine. Austin has great speed, and he's a big receiver. I expect good things from him too.

And don't forget Terry Glenn, when he's healthy, he's better than probably most of the guys in the draft. We've all seen what he can do when healthy, and it looks like he's on the right track. Looks like Jerry has seen enough of him this offseason to expect him to play next year.

I love what we did in the first few rounds. Felix is gonna be an excellent compliment to MB3, Jenkins should turn out to be pretty good. He lacks some strength, but probably play in nickel and dime situations anyways, probably in some zone coverages, so we won't have to worry about him on the line of scrimmage getting knocked down.

Bennett was a good pick, and an underrated pick as well. Keep in mind we don't have Fasano anymore, and that leaves us only Tony Curtis, so another TE would be good.

[Pistons < Spurs]

Updated list of UDFA's signed:

Cowboys
DE - Marcus Dixon - Hampton
WR - Danny Amendola - Texas Tech
FB - Julius Crosslin - Oklahoma St.
OG - Brandon Hale - Sam Houston St.
P - Jay Ottovegio - Stanford
TE - Drew Atchison - William & Mary

[Pistons < Spurs]

Cowboys DE Darrell Robertson (Georgia Tech)
Cowboys WR Daniel Polk (Midwestern State)
Cowboys S Dowayne Davis (Syracuse)
Cowboys T Andrew Brecher (Harvard)
Cowboys RB Keon Lattimore (Maryland)
Cowboys WR Mark Bradford (Stanford)

[mardigan]

DE - Marcus Dixon - Hampton

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Dixon

[degenerate_gambler]

any of you guys know who has signed Tommy Blake?

[Pistons < Spurs]

any of you guys know who has signed Tommy Blake?

from what I can tell, no one.

[O-Factor]

A Closer Look At The Cowboys' 2008 Draft Picks
Rob Phillips - Email
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
April 28, 2008 5:26 PM

IRVING, Texas - Experts, fans and the Dallas Cowboys themselves came to a general pre-draft consensus on the team's greatest depth needs - running back, cornerback, wide receiver, in various orders - months before Jerry Jones and Co. went on the clock at No. 22 around 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

Twenty-four hours, six trades and six picks later, the Cowboys had addressed the first two needs with two selections each (running backs Felix Jones and Tashard Choice; cornerbacks Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick) and perhaps the biggest wild card in team history - still-suspended Adam "Pacman" Jones, whose trade from Tennessee gained official approval by the NFL.

The Cowboys didn't unearth that game-breaking receiver in a relatively weak draft, nor find a willing trade partner for a veteran wideout. But they're optimistic second-round tight end Martellus Bennett can develop into a pass-catching threat alongside Jason Witten. They also took a sixth-round flier on Middle Tennessee State defensive end Erik Walden, who will move to linebacker in head coach Wade Phillips' 3-4 scheme.

Here's a closer look at the Cowboys' 2008 draft class which will join a group of eligible first-year veterans and rookie free agents for this weekend's three-day rookie mini-camp at Valley Ranch:

Felix Jones
Running back, Arkansas
6-0, 200
1st round 22nd overall)

Who's He: Most college backs might have disappeared into Darren McFadden's shadow. Instead, Jones parlayed his complementary running skills and kick return ability into a first-round selection. Jones' carry average of 7.66 yards ranks second in college football history behind Army's Glenn Davis (8.26), and he and McFadden ranked third all-time with 2,992 combined rushing yards in 2007.

Unique Quality: Jones' exceptional speed replaces the home-run threat Julius Jones left behind when he signed with Seattle. Felix Jones has a similar capacity to produce deep runs on carries or after the catch, making him an ideal change of pace for bruiser Marion Barber.

How He Fits: Jones actually relished his balancing act with McFadden, and he'll have the same job description with Barber and the Cowboys. He's also a prime candidate to at least share kick return duties, having finished ninth in NCAA history with a 28.2-yard average on 62 career returns with four touchdowns.

Worth Mentioning: Jones also is an underrated receiver out of the backfield. He caught 39 passes for 383 yards and four touchdowns at Arkansas.

Mike Jenkins
Cornerback, South Florida
5-10, 197
1st round (25th overall)

Who's He: The second South Florida alum to join the Dallas secondary, and the Cowboys believe he has starting-quality talent like Anthony Henry. Most considered Jenkins a top-three corner in this year's draft, and the Cowboys didn't hesitate trading up three spots to grab him once he slid into the mid-20s.

Unique Quality: Jenkins's 4.3 speed will be an asset against some of the league's deep-threat receivers. He also showed good coverage instincts in college, evidenced by his 12 pass breakups and three interceptions as a senior.

How He Fits: Like the rest of his draft class, Jenkins won't be asked to start right away. His arrival, coupled with Pacman Jones' potential reinstatement, could provide one of the league's deepest cornerback units if Terence Newman and Henry can stay healthy. The two starters each battled nagging foot injuries last year.

Worth Mentioning: Jenkins also is an accomplished kick returner. He averaged 26.7 yards on nine career returns, including a 100-yard touchdown against Cincinnati last season.

Martellus Bennett
Tight end, Texas A&M
6-6, 260
2nd round (61st overall)

Who's He: The second second-round tight end drafted by the Cowboys since 2006, Bennett's an elite athlete who found himself somewhat underutilized in the Aggies' ball-control offense. Yet he still led the team with 49 catches for 587 yards and four touchdowns to earn All-Big 12 first-team honors in 2007.

Unique Quality: Versatility. Bennett's combination of size, hands, solid speed for his 6-6 frame and blocking skills make him a complete tight end prospect.

How He Fits: The Cowboys made room for Bennett by trading fellow second-round pick Anthony Fasano to the Dolphins. Backup Tony Curtis has made strides, but the Cowboys also are excited about teaming Bennett with Witten in two-tight end sets.

Worth Mentioning: Bennett became the first Texas A&M athlete since 1969 to letter in football and basketball. He appeared in 30 games as a backup forward for nearly two seasons (2005-06, 2006-07) but ultimately decided to concentrate on football this past year.

Tashard Choice
Running Back, Georgia Tech
5-10, 215
4th Round (122 overall)

Who's He: Ranked by most as one of the top 10 running backs in the draft but ended up being the 12th one taken, which makes getting him in the fourth round somewhat of a steal for the Cowboys. Saw one ranking had him the 94th best player in the draft, so getting him almost an entire round later was great value for the Cowboys.

Unique Quality: Hard worker and apparently a tough running back, who must pack a wallop. When asked who was the toughest running back he ever faced in his college career, Virginia defensive end Chris Long, the second pick in the draft, said, "I personally believe Tashard Choice is the best running back in the league," and Miami defensive lineman Calais Campbell, a second-round draft choice, said, "The toughest to tackle? I'm going to have to go with my man Tashard Choice. He definitely was the hardest to tackle last year. He ran the ball tough, hard-nosed, fought for every yard. You really had to fight to bring him down. I give him a lot of love." Now that's pretty unique.

How He Fits: Since the Cowboys selected Felix Jones with one of their two first-round picks to complement starter Marion Barber, the Cowboys needed an all-purpose back as their No. 3 guy, just in case Barber goes down. Choice is a guy who can handle 25 carries a game, evidenced by becoming the first Georgia Tech running back with consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, and can handle enough special teams jobs to be active on game day.

Worth Mentioning: Choice must be a smart guy. Not only has he already graduated from George Tech (this past December) with a degree in History, Technology and Society, but was a two-time member of the ACC Academic Honor Roll, and was smart enough to realize after spending a redshirt season at Oklahoma in 2003 and backing up some guy named Adrian Peterson in 2004 (Academic All-Big 12) that he'd probably ought to go somewhere else if he was ever going to be the guy.

Orlando Scandrick
Cornerback, Boise State
5-11, 198
5th Round (143 overall)

Who's He: Speedy corner who came out early after his junior year, and was obviously disappointed he was not drafted until the fifth round. Many had him rated a Top 20 cornerback, but ended up being the 32nd defensive back drafted. Played on the Boise State team to defeat Oklahoma in that 2006 season Fiesta Bowl. If nothing else, could become the special-teams dynamo to replace Keith Davis. Being 5-11, 198, with 4.3 speed helps that.

Unique Quality: Not just a potential special teams coverage guy. Scandrick blocked four kicks in 2007. He also knows what to do with the ball when he gets it. Starting as a true freshman in 2005, he returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown, a blocked extra point for a two-point conversion and returned an interception for a touchdown.

How He Fits: No matter the Cowboys drafted Mike Jenkins in the first round and hope to have Adam Jones active by the season opener, as they say, you can never have enough corners. The Cowboys might have six quality corners this season, and Scandrick's speed will not only grab him a backup job, but possibly challenge for some nickel duty.

Worth Mentioning: Here is another defensive back with return ability. While he didn't do much of that at Boise State, get this, while in high school he averaged 46.5 yards on 22 kickoff returns. As a junior at Boise, Scandrick had one punt return for 54 yards and averaged almost 20 yards on four kickoff returns. He did return one interception 42 yards. And for whatever testing means, this youngster ran a 4.34 40-yard dash, and has a 38½-inch vertical, which is pretty impressive for being only 5-11. So at least he has the physical ability to make plays on the ball, which is one of the reasons the Cowboys liked him.

Erik Walden,
Linebacker, Middle Tennessee State
6-2, 243
6th Round (167 Overall)

Who's He: A defensive end by trade in college, although one who played a little linebacker, he will become another ones of those guys being moved to outside linebacker in the Cowboys' 3-4 defensive alignment to take advantage of his pass-rush skills, just like Greg Ellis, DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer. While a tad short, he does have some pass-rush ability, finishing his four-year college career with 22½ sacks, including 11½ as a junior.

Unique Quality: Was voted the Heart of Georgia defensive player of the year his senior year at Dublin (Ga.) High School and went on to become a two-time All-Sun Belt Conference player at MTS.

How He Fits: Think special teams and pass-rush specialist first. The Cowboys coverage units were lacking last year, so Walden must make an impression covering kicks, and appears to have the speed to get downfield. Then he must show pass-rush skills to make this team as a developmental player.

Worth Mentioning: Walden became the first Middle Tennessee State player drafted since wide receiver Tyrone Calico was selected in the second round by the Tennessee ans in 2003. But get this: He also becomes the first Blue Raider defensive player to be drafted since Anthony Hicks in 1997 and their first defensive end ever drafted.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news.cf...EEA323E8A793BF

[GaryJohnston]

Im pretty happy with the Cowboys draft. Still a WR was to be had on a couple of occasions.

[DBryant88]

i was hoping that we would trade up in the 2nd round and get sombody like limas sweed but no wr's again is a dissapointment. T.O. cant carry the wr duties 4ever and jason witten can only do som much. I really dont know about terry glenn. and patrick Crayton is a joke.

[mardigan]

i was hoping that we would trade up in the 2nd round and get sombody like limas sweed but no wr's again is a dissapointment. T.O. cant carry the wr duties 4ever and jason witten can only do som much. I really dont know about terry glenn. and patrick Crayton is a joke.

How is Crayton a joke? 700 yards and 7 tds as a 3rd option is pretty damn good.