As we approach the pinnacle of sports in America today, the Superbowl, The Sports Narrative Radio Show is the only place to get you ready for the big game and everything else happening in the sports world! On this episode:
- We have an angry rant on deflate-gate, wonder if the Pro Bowl didn't hurt the Cowboys, get drafty with the Senior Bowl and all things NFL in the lead up to Superbowl 49
- Speaking of angry rants, Mr Feltman has his dander up over some proposals in baseball. We yield the podium to him and Mr Copening for some baseball talk
- The Mick is back (we hope) after a week away from the Pub. We get all the latest news from his dark view of the world and more.
- The NBA All-Star game approaches, the NHL's is in the rearview and we discuss both as well as the rest of the happenings in those leagues.
- We conclude with News and Notes including Tennis, College Hoops, Golf, NASCAR and whatever else grabs our attention
So please listen LIVE Wed Jan 28th from 830-1030p CST or anytime after on Itunes
Check Out Sports Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with The Sports Narrative on BlogTalkRadio
With all the hype of Super Bowl week, deflated footballs and
the even more deflated Pro Bowl, one of the biggest events of the NFL offseason
took place last week: the 2015 Senior Bowl. GMs, coaches, scouts and even
unemployed coaches seeking work all descend upon Mobile, AL for a week of practice
and the game on Saturday to see some of the best Seniors in this year’s draft
crop get coached up by the NFL for the first time ever. The Titans and Jaguars
staffs got the opportunity to coach the North and South squads respectively,
with the North prevailing in the game 34-13. Here are a few of the standout
players of the week, including a few players that could be nice fits here in
Dallas.
David Johnson, RB, Northern Iowa
Easily the guy that jumped off the tape the most on the
offensive side of the ball was Johnson. At 6’1” 224, Johnson showed a wide
skill set, from power running, blocking, catching the football and some
impressive cuts and wiggle on a 19 yard run for a TD through the trash.
Probably best fit in a zone blocking scheme, Johnson could be a 3rd
round steal that is a starter for that team by year’s end.
Ameer Abdullah, RB, Nebraska
In addition to Johnson, several of the other RBs impressed,
including David Cobb from Minnesota, Cameron Artis-Payne from Auburn and Tyler
Varga of Yale. But the flashiness came from Abdullah. Named the game’s MVP,
Abdullah racked up 113 all-purpose yards with some great catches, exciting
returns and bursting through some big holes into the secondary. Despite his
size (5’9 190lbs) Abdullah looks like a great change-of-pace back and homerun
threat that is easily a Day 2 pick.
Devin Smith, WR, Ohio State
Fresh off his National Championship victory, Smith showed he
has elite speed but came to Mobile looking to display the rest of his game.
Smith looked very solid in one-on-one drills, with great hands in traffic, nice
comeback to the ball and solid routes. Though he needs a little work with his
feet to get “next level,” Smith definitely gave the scouts what they wanted
and likely cemented a 2nd
round spot.
Rannell Hall, WR, Central Florida
Though not highly touted, Hall displayed all the qualities
you like in a late round WR: great hands, solid routes, a willingness to block
and playmaking (with a couple of great catches in the game). If he can show an
aptitude for special teams, Hall has a chance to stick on a roster for some
time, much like a Dwayne Harris-type.
Nick Boyle, TE, Delaware
Though not the dynamic, stretch-the-field tight end that
often stand out in games like this, Boyle is a traditional in-line blocker that
showed show solid ability catching the football and is invaluable in the game
today. Boyle will be a Day 3 pick likely to make his team very happy in a few
years.
Donovan Smith, OT, Penn State
While several of the bigger name tackles had up-and-down
weeks (see TJ Clemmings and La’el Collins), Smith excelled in practice and in
the game. At 6’6” 341 lbs, Smith opened big holes for his RBs and showed nice
agility in pass blocking versus some big time pass rushers. As a swing tackle,
Smith showed promise to develop into a starter that could be had in the 3rd
round.
Ali Marpet, OG, Hobart College
Several of the guards really showed well this week,
including Duke’s Laken Tomlinson, Georgia Tech’s Shaq Mason and Alabama’s Arie
Kouandjio (who responded to coaching the most by far). However, it is rare to
see a kid from Division III come to the Senior Bowl and absolutely hold his
own. Marpet showed strength, grit and tenacity that had many scouts scrambling
for game tape.
Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
On the defensive side of the ball, no one stood out more
than Shelton. At 6’2 343 lbs, Shelton showed the stamina to be a 3-down player,
strength plugging gaps and a little pass rush skill too. With his performance
in Mobile, Shelton has insured himself a first round pick.
Carl Davis, DT, Iowa
Davis was a beast on the field, looking like and ideal 3
technique that can play the run and pass. However, whispers about attitude and
some poor interviews could rub some teams the wrong way and might have him
sliding come draft day.
Nate Orchard, DE/OLB, Utah
Orchard is at his best coming of the edge as DE, though he
showed willingness to play some OLB and drop into coverage. However, despite
his size (6’3, 251lbs), I see Orchard as a defensive end, so he may want to add
some bulk. But there is no denying his pass rush skill and his first round
status.
Martrell Spaight, OLB, Arkansas
With Denzel Perryman of Miami sitting out with an abdominal
strain, Spaight got a chance to shine. While only 6’0 232lbs, Spaight fought
off blocks and made some plays this week. As a weakside backer in a 4-3,
Spaight could develop into a starter or very quality reserve.
Quinten Rollins, CB, Miami of Ohio
After playing four years of basketball at Miami (OH),
Rollins went to try his hand at football the last 2 years, was the MAC
defensive player of the year last season and had scouts drooling over his
potential all week. Best in press coverage, Rollins could emerge as a shut-down
CB and rise as high as the early 2nd round.
Kevin White, CB, TCU
Taking the mantle from last year’s 1st round pick
Jason Verritt, White was the #1 CB for the Frogs this year and played well. His
Senior Bowl performance also did not disappoint, with an interception in the
game. Looking like a nickel CB in the pros (5’9” 190 lbs), White is a perfect
match for the trend toward speedy slot WRs.
Some Players to
fit the Dallas Cowboys:
Bryce Petty, QB, Baylor
Much as in the Shrine game, the quarterback class in this
year’s draft struggled mightily. However, several showed bursts of promise that
could have many desperate teams clinging to hope. Among those, Garrett Grayson
of Colorado State showed some nice mobility (prized by a team like the Broncos
new coach Gary Kubiak) and Sean Mannion of Oregon State showed some nice touch
on a touchdown pass. But I thought, despite a very up-and-down week, no one QB
helped himself more than Baylor’s Bryce Petty. For his first time actually
reading defenses and taking consistent snaps from center, Petty held his own.
Though he is very developmental, needing a ton of footwork breakdown and
practice reps, to me he seemed a very promising late round value pick
(especially for the Cowboys).
Preston Smith, DE, Mississippi State
With long arms, good size (6’5” 270lbs) and solid against
the run, Smith would be a perfect fit for the Cowboys need at Right Defensive
End. Smith also showed some nice push in the pocket and got a strip sack on QB
Sean Mannion. Likely a target in round 2, perhaps the Cowboys could address
another area in round one and get a starter at RDE in the second with Smith,
Arkansas’s Trey Flowers or UCLA’s Owamagbe Odighizuwa.
Jordan Hicks, LB, Texas
Hicks played both inside and outside linebacker at the
Senior Bowl and showed great aptitude at both spots. Hicks tracked plays very
well and delivered punishment upon arriving. He would be a great fit in a
scheme such as Seattle’s of Dallas’s.
Ladarius Gunter, CB, Miami
At 6’1” 200lbs, Gunter could be a great fit in the Cover 2
scheme, with the size to jam WRs at the line and ball skills to play in
coverage. Much like Josh Shaw of USC, he might not be a great fit for most
teams and could be a value for Dallas in the middle rounds, like Richard
Sherman was for the Seahawks.
The State of The Sports Narrative Radio Show is . . . evolving! As our little show prepares to make the jump to a visual medium, spend your next 2 hours not listening to the SOTU speech but instead laughing and talking sports!
- We begin with talk of the NFL Championships games including those cheating Patriots, the comeback Hawks and other moves around the league as look at the ridiculous Pro Bowl
- With College Football in the rearview mirror, we spend segment 2 talking baseball and Hot Stove. As the dominoes begin to fall, Mr Copening and Mr Feltman will guide us through it all
- Time for Mick's Pub where we will discuss news, movies, television and whatever else interests The Mick this week
- It's time for a combo platter as both the NBA and NHL have reached the halfway point. We discuss the state of hockey and the Dallas Stars as well as the NBA standings and the little Dallas Mavericks
- The show wraps up with news and notes including abduction and assault in golf, NFL Draft talk, tennis, college hoops and any other sports we can discuss
So listen to us LIVE January 21st from 8:30-10:30p CST or anytime after on Itunes (search Sports Narrative under podcasts)
Check Out Sports Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with The Sports Narrative on BlogTalkRadio
With the coaching staff now set for the Dallas Cowboys, now
the business of free agency and scouting talent for the Draft can begin in
earnest. As we saw this season, getting significant contributions from later
round draft choices and undrafted free agents is critical to withstand the
grind of a championship season. And that starts with the East/West Shrine Game.
The East/West Shrine Game is for smaller school guys and players not invited to
the more prestigious Senior Bowl to show their stuff and hopefully catch the
eye of some NFL scouts. This year’s game was not a compelling watch as the
quarterback crop in the game was marginal NFL talent at best, resulting in a
low scoring affair dominated by the play of the offensive and defensive lines.
Here’s a few of the players who stood out:
John Crocket, RB, North Dakota St
Fresh off a college career of 4,309 yards, 42 TDs and 3
straight FCS Championships, Crockett needed to prove he could compete versus a
higher caliber of competition and he held his own. Showing nice burst both in
practice and the game and an above average competence for pass blocking,
Crockett greatly improved his chances to get drafted in a very deep RB class.
Kenny Hilliard and Terrence Magee, RB, LSU
Both LSU RBs, Hilliard and Magee, had a nice week and will
gain consideration as a rotational back like Alfred Blue for the Texans.
Hilliard impressed me more as a great fit for a zone-blocking one-cut offense
while Magee displayed some nice hands and tough running.
Tre McBride, WR, William & Mary
McBride was easily the best WR during practices this week.
While not overly big (6’0” 205lbs) or fast, his great route-running and
consistent hands is likely to get his name called during the draft at some
point.
Blake Bell, TE, Oklahoma
Making the switch from QB to TE, Bell showed some
surprisingly soft hands and nice route running this week. While his blocking
still leaves a lot to be desired, Bell’s willingness to get his nose in there
shows enough promise to get him drafted as a project on Day 3.
BJ Finney, C, Kansas State
Perhaps no one helped himself at this year’s Shrine Game
more than former walk-on Finney. Whether taking on nose tackles, helping on
pass protection or consistently delivering the snap, Finney drew praise from
almost every scout or commentator and could rise as high as the 3rd
or 4th round.
John Miller, G, Louisville
During the telecast, Mike Mayock singled out Miller several
times in both his run and pass blocking. Showing a solid anchor, good strength
and quality balance, Miller could also rise into the 3rd/4th
round range.
Jamon Brown, OT, Louisville
Lining up right next to his college teammate, Brown’s size
was more impressive than his play. At 6’6” 328lbs Brown has all the physical
tools but will need some work on technique versus speed rushers to develop into
a starter at Right Tackle. That being said, he is a solid value pick on Day 3
of the Draft.
Anthony Chickillo, DE, Miami
After being a highly regarded prep recruit, Chickillo spent
his time at Miami playing Defensive End in their 3-4 scheme and was not very
productive in it. During Shrine Week, Chickillo played strong side DE in a 4-3
and dominated play during the game, showing nice burst and a strong motor. At
6’3” 271lbs, he could be an ideal fit for what the Cowboys need available in
the 4th or 5th round.
Za’Darius Smith, DE, Kentucky
Smith played opposite of 1st round talent Alvin
Dupree at Kentucky and was overshadowed. But this week allowed Smith to show
his skills and he took advantage. Using his long arms and nice explosion, Smith
was the Defensive Player of the Game and terrorized every opposing QB for the
West.
David Parry, DT, Stanford
Often overshadowed on that vaunted Stanford D, Parry
displayed some solid pass rushing skills with speed and strength in practices
this week. With good size (6’2” 300lbs) Parry could bump up into Day 3 of the
draft.
Xavier Williams, DT, Northern Iowa
Coming from a smaller school, Williams held his own all week
in practices looks to be a solid rotational 1 technique that could be had in
round 5 or 6.
Bryce Hager, LB, Baylor
Though a bit undersized (6’1” 235lbs), Hager had a quality
week of practice and looks like a three down linebacker, though he might need
to slide to the weakside in a 4-3. Hager showed a nice nose for the football
and would be a highly sought after free agent if he slipped through the draft.
Josh Shaw, CB/S, USC
After drawing the wrong kind of attention prior to the
season, Shaw displayed leadership and coverage skills that will cause many to
overlook that incident. Shaw is 6’1” 200lbs and could play both corner and
safety. This is the perfect type of player for the Cowboys defensive scheme: a
zone coverage CB without blazing speed but displays solid ball skills. Guys
like this are not coveted by other teams but can turn into a quality starters
here (see Richard Sherman in the Seattle system).
Craig Mager, CB, Texas State
Another smaller school kid who had a great week, Mager
should fluid hips and route recognition that could have him as a starting
nickel corner in the very near future.
Bobby McCain, CB, Memphis
McCain showed not only good coverage skills for a nickel
corner but also had a nice kick return in the game. Extra skills in special
teams is always a plus in getting drafted.
So many champions this week! And a few very sad fans as well. We will talk about them all on The Sports Narrative Radio Show! On this episode:
- We bring back The Narrative for look back at the tragic life and career of former Maverick Roy Tarpley
- Still more sadness as week try to console Dustin after a tragic and ridiculous Cowboys loss to the Packers. And a look at officiating from a different perspective
- Leaving the Cowboys behind, we look ahead to the Conference Championship Weekend as well as the other big moves in the NFL
- The National Championship was awarded on Monday night to the #4 team in the country! We examine Ohio State's improbable run to the trophy, Urban Meyer's legacy and some NFL Draft stuff too
- It's finally time to stop talking football and get to the important business of the day - Mick's Pub. In it we will discuss . . . something?
- We jam in a combo platter of items including NBA news, Hockey at the halfway point, Hot Stove Baseball Talk and whatever else we pile on our Sports Plate
All that and maybe a call or 2 also at (347) 308-8637
So please listen LIVE Jan 14th 8:30-10:30p CST or anytime after on Itunes (search Sports Narrative)
Check Out Sports Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with The Sports Narrative on BlogTalkRadio
No sooner does this magical Cowboys season end (on a blown
call) that they must hurriedly pick themselves up, dust themselves off and
prepare for the 2015-16 season. And for Draftniks like myself, this is where
the real fun begins. The NFL offseason is where champions are forged, from the
management and coaches down to the plays and players. How a team addresses the
questions posed in the offseason directly determines if they have the answers
during the season, in the playoffs and ultimately in the Superbowl. As Tom
Landry once said “The secret to winning is constant, consistent management.”
And for the Cowboys team, many questions lie ahead.
So let’s begin by looking at the road ahead, the 2015
Cowboys situation and a few of the questions that await.
The Road Ahead:
Technically the NFL Offseason begins the day after the
Superbowl. However, the work that goes into scouting college talent,
negotiating the salary cap and contracts and acquiring assets reach far back
even before training camp. Here is a look at the calendar ahead for this offseason
right up until the NFL Draft and some of the big stops along the way:
Jan. 15 Deadline for
underclassmen to declare for the 2015 NFL Draft
Jan. 17 East-West Shrine Game (St. Petersburg, Fla.)
Jan. 18 Conference
Championships
Jan. 24 Senior Bowl (Mobile, Ala.)
Jan. 25 2015 Pro Bowl
(University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz., 8 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Feb. 1 Super Bowl XLIX (University of Phoenix
Stadium, Glendale, Ariz., 6 p.m. ET, NBC)
Feb. 2 Waiver system
begins for 2015
Feb. 7 NFL Regional
Combine (Davie, Fla.)
Feb. 14 NFL Regional
Combine (Houston)
Feb. 16 First day for
clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players
Feb. 17-23 NFL Scouting Combine (Indianapolis)
Feb. 21 NFL Regional
Combine (Dove Valley, Colo.)
Feb. 28 NFL Regional
Combine (Owings Mills, Md.)
March 2 Prior to 4 p.m. ET, deadline for
clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players
March 7 NFL
Regional Combine (Lake Forest, Ill.)
March 7-10 Clubs
are permitted to contact, and enter into contract negotiations with the
certified agents of players who will become Unrestricted Free Agents upon the
expiration of their 2014 contracts at 4 p.m. ET on March 10. However, a
contract cannot be executed with a new club until 4 p.m. ET on March 10
March 10 Prior
to 4 p.m. ET, clubs must exercise options for 2015 on all players who have
option clauses in their 2014 contracts
Prior to 4 p.m. ET, clubs must
submit qualifying offers to their Restricted Free Agents with expiring
contracts and to whom they desire to retain a Right of First Refusal/Compensation
Prior to 4 p.m. ET, clubs must
submit a Minimum Salary Tender to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their
players with expiring 2014 contracts and who have fewer than three accrued
seasons of free agency credit
Top-51 Begins. All clubs must be under the 2015 salary cap prior to 4
p.m. ET
All 2014 player contracts expire
at 4 p.m. ET
2015 league year and free agency period begins (4 p.m. ET)
Trading period for 2015 begins (4
p.m. ET)
March 19-21 NFL
Career Development Symposium (Phoenix)
March 21-22 Super
Regional Combine (Phoenix)
March 22-25 NFL
Annual Meeting (Phoenix)
April 6 Clubs that
hired a new head coach after the end of the 2014 regular season may begin
offseason workout programs
April 20 Clubs with
returning head coaches may begin offseason workout programs
April 24 Deadline for
Restricted Free Agents to sign offer sheets
April 29 Deadline for
prior club to exercise Right of First Refusal to Restricted Free Agents
April 30-May 2 NFL Draft (Chicago)
That’s right, this year’s NFL Draft is not at Radio City in
NYC but in Chicago, and The Ticket will have your coverage wall-to-wall as no
other station in America does.
The Draft
Evaluation Process Begins:
With the College Football season coming to an end tomorrow
night at AT&T Stadium, the college postseason games begin this week with
the East/West Shrine Game. This game usually features some smaller school or
lesser known types, but always yields some quality talent (like Rams RB Zac
Stacy in 2013 and 2nd round QB Jimmy Garopplo in 2014). Practices
begin this week and the game is Saturday Jan 17th. Here’s a look at
this year’s roster (with a few Big 12 kids highlighted):
EAST TEAM Coach:
Mike Singletary
Quarterbacks
Anthony Boone, Duke
Taylor Heinicke, Old Dominion
Hutson Mason, Georgia
Running backs
Larry Dixon (FB), Army
Dominique Brown, Louisville
Kenny Hilliard, LSU
Terrence Magee, LSU
Receivers
Gerald Christian (TE), Louisville
Andre Davis, South Florida
Devin Gardner, Michigan
Deon Long, Maryland
Tre McBride, William & Mary
Keith Mumphery, Michigan State
Wes Saxton (TE), South Alabama
Darren Waller, Georgia Tech
Offensive linemen
David Andrews, Georgia
Ben Beckwith, Mississippi State
Jamon Brown, Louisville
Dillon Day, Mississippi State
Jonathan Feliciano, Miami (Fla.)
Mark Glowinski, West
Virginia
Sean Hickey, Syracuse
Shane McDermott, Miami (Fla.)
Darrian Miller, Kentucky
John Miller, Louisville
Defensive linemen
Anthony Chickillo, Miami (Fla.)
B.J. Dubose, Louisville
Darius Kilgo, Maryland
Derrick Lott, Tennessee-Chattanooga
Jermauria Rasco, LSU
Za'Darius Smith, Kentucky
Davis Tull, Tennessee-Chattanooga
Leterrius Walton, Central Michigan
Daryl Waud, Western University (Ontario)
Linebackers
Cole Farrand, Maryland
Amarlo Herrera, Georgia
Deiontrez Mount, Louisville
Quayshawn Nealy, Georgia Tech
Edmond Robinson, Newberry College
Jake Ryan, Michigan
Defensive backs
Detrick Bonner (S), Virginia Tech
Justin Coleman (CB), Tennessee
Parrish Gaines (S), Navy
Craig Mager (CB),
Texas State
Dean Marlowe (S), James Madison
Ronald Martin, Jr. (S), LSU
Damian Parms (S), Florida Atlantic
Tye Smith (CB), Towson
Damian Swann (CB), Georgia
Cam Thomas (CB), Western Kentucky
Specialists
Marvin Kloss (K), South Florida
Spencer Roth (P),
Baylor
WEST TEAM
Coach: Jim Zorn
Quarterbacks
Cody Fajardo, Nevada
Taylor Kelly, Arizona State
Dylan Thompson, South Carolina
Running backs
Malcolm Brown, Texas
John Crockett, North Dakota State
Aaron Ripkowski (FB),
Oklahoma
Zachary Zenner, South Dakota State
Receivers
Blake Bell (TE),
Oklahoma
Kenny Bell, Nebraska
A.J. Derby (TE), Arkansas
Austin Hill, Arizona
MyCole Pruitt (TE), Southern Illinois
Addison Richards, Regina (Saskatchewan)
Ezell Ruffin, San Diego State
Jordan Taylor, Rice
Kasen Williams, Washington
Offensive linemen
Mickey Baucus, Arizona
Brett Boyko, UNLV
Cameron Clemmons, Western Kentucky
Jamil Douglas, Arizona State
B.J. Finney, Kansas State
Gregory Mancz, Toledo
Terry Poole, San Diego State
Collin Rahrig, Indiana
Adam Shead, Oklahoma
Brandon Vitabile, Northwestern
Defensive linemen
James Castleman,
Oklahoma State
Tyeler Davison, Fresno State
Kyle Emanuel, North Dakota State
Chucky Hunter, TCU
Martin Ifedi, Memphis
David Parry, Stanford
Travis Raciti, San Jose State
Ryan Russell, Purdue
Xavier Williams, Northern Iowa
Linebackers
Bryce Hager, Baylor
Benjamin Heeney,
Kansas
Taiwan Jones, Michigan State
A.J. Tarpley, Stanford
James Vaughters, Stanford
Zachary Vigil, Utah State
Tony Washington, Oregon
Defensive backs
Bernard Blake (CB), Colorado State
Bryce Callahan (CB), Rice
Samuel Carter (S),
TCU
Corey Cooper (S), Nebraska
Fritz Etienne (S), Memphis
Gregory Henderson (CB), Colorado
Bobby McCain (CB), Memphis
Tevin McDonald (S), Eastern Washington
Jordan Richards (S), Stanford
Curtis Riley (CB), Fresno State
Josh Shaw (CB), USC
Specialists
Darragh O'Neill (P), Colorado
Niklas Sade (K), North Carolina State
We will have highlights, stand-outs and other notes from the
Shrine game on next week’s blog.
Where We Stand
Today:
As it stands today, the Cowboys are entering into 2015 with
around $138 million committed in contract with a projected salary cap of around
$140 million. Obviously this does not leave a lot of room for additions, not to
mention that this does not include Dez Bryant, DeMarco Murray or Ron Leary to
name a few. Therefore, some “massaging: of contracts is needed. Here is the
complete list of current contracts and dead money for 2015 courtesy of www.overthecap.com:
This is the best option for
creating money, guaranteeing more money to guys like Tyron Smith, Scandrick,
Melton, Church and others to free up room. The questions becomes “is it
enough?”
2.Re-doing player’s with a less certain status
This option is a little scarier as
it charges more money to future salary caps and may come due sooner than the
team would like. This list includes players like Romo (injury), Sean Lee
(injury), Carr (performance), and Witten (age). The Cowboys have shown no
hesitation to exercise this option in the past and I expect that trend will
continue, though I think they might want to “start the clock” on some of the
money owed to Brandon Carr and Tony Romo just in case their level of play goes
south quickly.
3.Letting some veteran’s go
With this team’s limited depth and
shaky draft track record (though remarkably better under Will McClay’s tenure),
letting starters walk has not been this team’s usual “process.” Candidates in
this category include Dez Bryant, DeMarco Murray, Doug Free, Ron Leary, Cole
Beasley, Rolando McClain, Justin Durant, Bruce Carter, Sterling Moore and Henry
Melton is they exercise his out clause. We will address this in the next
section.
Phase #2: Free
Agency/Team Needs
Once the money is available, the next issue is how to spend
it. The Cowboys have some big names on the verge of hitting free agency and
also need to improve the roster in order to get over the hump of playoff
contender to championship level. Here’s a list of their pending free agents,
again courtesy of www.overthecap.com
So here is my opinion of the needs of this team going into
2015 in no particular order:
-Backup QB
-Running Back (2)
-Wide Receiver (2)
-Blocking Tight End
-Right Tackle (2)
-Left Guard
-Defensive End
-Linebacker (2)
-Cornerback (2)
Without looking at the rest of NFL free agency (too many
variables and too little money to depend on), here is my plan for answering the
Cowboys needs though free agency. Remember, no team can fill every spot with
pro bowlers. It’s about getting the most out of the available resources in a
realistic way. The Draft will be addressed in section 3:
1.Sign Dez
– I know there is much concern about his off-field life, but a true playmaking
WR is not as easy to find as some think and is a necessity in today’s
pass-happy NFL. I’d be shocked if Dez is wearing any other jersey than a blue
88 next year.
2.Address
RB, either through Murray or Adrian Peterson – The wear and tear that
Murray went through this season does not bode well for his career long-term.
However, letting the MVP of your previous season walk for nothing won’t make
fans happy. We all know about Jerry’s “flirtations” with Peterson prior to his
suspension. I think the Cowboys should sign one of these two RBs, probably
whichever one comes cheaper.
3.Sign
either Free or Parnell, let the other go – Doug Free and Jeremy Parnell are
basically the same player and thus interchangeable. Whichever one takes the
better deal I’d sign, then look to sign a backup swing OT on the cheap
4.Sign Ron
Leary to a short term deal – Leary is a monster on run-blocking and a
liability in pass-protection. In addition, Leary came into the league with
balky knees which is why he went undrafted. Bring him back on the cheap for
continuity only and look to upgrade their next year.
5.Of LBs
Durant, McClain and Carter sign 2 cheapest – With the hopeful return of
Sean Lee (finger crossed) and the emergence of super-sub Hitchens, The Cowboys
need at least 2 starters and a quality backup. McClain has been a find, but
might want to cash in on his success. Carter has proven serviceable on the
strong side and might be had on a 1 year “prove it” contract. Durant was the
team’s best LB prior to injury and has hopefully found a home in Marinelli’s D.
Sign the cheapest 2 and let the other walk, addressing that position further in
the draft.
6.Wait til
the draft – After these moves, I might wait until the draft to fill in the
gaps. Guys like Hayden, Selvie, Moore, Dunbar and Brent can be brought back or
replaced at minimum costs.
Phase #3: The
Draft
If the offseason breaks as above, the needs for the Cowboys
heading into the draft on April 30th in Chicago will look like this:
-Backup/Developmental QB
-Defensive End
-Cornerback
-Linebacker
-Right Tackle
Generally, I think going into the draft you want to have 3-4
real positions to fill. Your 1st round pick should be a day one
starter or immediate contributor (except for a QB), your 2nd and 3rd
rounders should provide premium depth in rotation and develop into starters and
your 4th and 5th rounders are more developmental or have
flaws that can be addressed. The order in which these needs are addressed then
becomes a function of draft position, positional strength and value. Being able
to get quality at each pick is the primary goal, though sometimes that means
taking value over position or maneuvering to get in the best talent tier.
Looking at the 2015, it is very difficult to assess position
strength without knowing which underclassmen will declare. In recent years, the
overwhelming number of junior or even RS sophomore declarations have dominating
the early rounds and I don’t expect that trend to decrease.
In future posts, I will take a harder look at the players
that may be available in the draft and their evaluations as the process rolls
on. As we see every year, player’s stock can rise and fall quite a bit before
draft night, but it’s good to get a rough estimate before the process begins.
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