Dallas Cowboys followed their draft plan, even if it's flawed
07:43 PM CDT on Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Give the Cowboys credit for following their game plan for the draft perfectly – even if you think it was a flawed plan.
The coverage units were awful last year, and they're trying to fix them. No one should have a problem with that approach.
But the Cowboys' draft troubled me because they didn't pick enough players they viewed as potential starters. To me, you draft guys you think will start and put them on special teams until they become too valuable.
You don't draft players you think probably won't ever start because they'll be good special teams players, which is what the Cowboys did.
It doesn't mean these guys won't contribute or become good players. I just don't think many of them will have a long-term impact on first, second or third down.
The biggest surprise of the draft is that Dallas didn't use its bevy of picks – 12 in the final five rounds – to move up and down the board and load up on players in the third and fourth round. The deeper you get in the draft, the more one-dimensional players you get.
There's something about this draft that doesn't feel quite right, but only time will tell. This much I know: New York and Philadelphia added players you expect to impact their teams next season.
Dallas did not.
Q: I just don't understand why you stockpile picks for Day 2. I would have packaged several those picks to move up and grab an impact player that can help the team now.
Ron Guerra, Santa Monica, Cal.
TAYLOR: I understand your point, Ron, but you don't find impact players in the third round in most cases. That said, I thought they would've packaged the picks to get 2-3 guys they really coveted. But when you look at the draft, it becomes clear they really wanted a lot of young players on their team to beat out guys like Patrick Watkins, Bobby Carpenter and Corey Procter.
Q: While observing this past weekend's draft I was left feeling – along with the end of the 2008 season – as if the Cowboys are quickly reverting to their pre-Parcells form.
Donovan Kelly
TAYLOR: What you have to do is have faith that Tom Ciskowski, the well-respected scouting director, did a good job of finding players for what Jerry and the coaching staff want to accomplish. The Cowboys had a really productive draft last year, and Ciskowski should get a lot of the credit. If a lot of these guys pan out and become terrific on special teams, then he'll get the credit. This, more than any other recent draft, will take some time to figure out if it was any good.
Q: Why did the Cowboys pass on a potential playmaking safety – a position of need by the way – Rashad Johnson in the third round?
Greg Jackson, Lexington, KY
TAYLOR: They drafted safeties in the fourth and fifth rounds – Mike Hamlin, DeAngelo Smith – so I suppose they thought their need at linebacker and offensive line was greater. At a certain point, a guy can be a good player, but he doesn't fit the scheme quite as well as another player. Or the Cowboys could see six safeties left on the board and as long as they get one of them they're happy.
Q: The twelve picks scared me a little bit because of the past experiences – quantity and/or quality? At the same time reading about the bios of the draft choices, I am encouraged that they drafted to fill future needs.
Sam Abraham
TAYLOR: I thought they would've gotten a little more quality. That's why I thought it was good to have so many picks on Day 2. I figured it would allow them to go up or down the board as needed to select certain players. Instead, they went with quantity.
Q: Jerry seems to like to try to outsmart others. This draft brought back bad memories of Shante Carver and friends. But, on the other hand, could there be method to this madness with Jerry using Bill's philosophy of constantly stirring the bottom of the barrel to maintain the pressure and prevent the non-stars from feeling safe? Could this draft turn out to be a way to bring back a stronger sense of competition for roster spots?
Matthias Maass
TAYLOR: That's a good way to look at it. There's no doubt there were too many players on the roster last year who were way too comfortable. The bottom of the roster should always be churned. The Cowboys are sending a message that they want more competition by openly saying they hope some of the young guys beat out some of the vets. Now, they need to take it one step further and do it throughout the season. Unless you're a proven veteran, you should have to earn your spot every week by your performance in practice and the classroom.
Q: How many of the players drafted will make this team?
Bryce Quine
TAYLOR: That's a good question. I'd say at least eight, maybe nine. The guys who will have the hardest time are receiver Manual Johnson, outside linebacker Stephen Hodge and tight end John Phillips. Johnson doesn't have a lot of speed, Hodge is an effort player, and Phillips has a lot of competition at the position.
Q: Since when do teams draft specifically for special teams? Aren't you supposed to take the best player available?
Raul J. Barriga
TAYLOR: Frankly, a lot of teams draft special teams players with one or two of their picks. You just don't normally see a team spend the majority of their draft picks on players who are supposed to help primarily on special teams. You're assuming the players they picked weren't the highest-ranked players on their board at the times they were drafting.
Q: I don't understand the Cowboys' draft strategy. The biggest weakness I saw last season was on the offensive line. Shouldn't they be drafting offensive linemen?
Keith Hearn
TAYLOR: They drafted one with their second pick in third round. Robert Brewster was the 75th player selected, so it's not like they abandoned the offensive line. Among their first nine picks, only two were used on offensive players. The Cowboys have added young offensive lineman like Doug Free, James Marten and Pat McQuistan in the last few years. They need those guys to come around and play well.
Q: The Cowboys had three picks in the fourth round. The first of those three picks was Stephen McGee, who could've been had in the sixth round. Tell me that was not a pick of panic or a favor pick to Mike Sherman, Texas A&M's head coach.
Glenn Guillory, Baytown, Texas.
TAYLOR: Again, I understand the frustration, but you don't know that McGee would've been around in the sixth round. All it takes is one team to make you feel really bad or really stupid. My philosophy when it comes to the draft is get the guys you want whether anyone else wants them or not. McGee is the only quarterback Dallas brought to town for a pre-draft visit. We know the Cowboys like to draft guys they bring in for visits. We know they liked McGee's toughness and athleticism and the fact they don't have to rush him because of Jon Kitna. They can take their time and develop him.