Drafting Dallas

The Cowboys are on the clock, along with the rest of the NFL. The draft is two weeks away and teams will look to rebuild, refurbish and revamp their rosters. Dallas has more than a few pressing needs and holes to fill on both sides of the ball. The Cowboys have a decent pass rush but not enough pass protection or run stoppers.
Even with their vocal leaders Tony Romo and Jason Whitten, Dallas is in dire shape offensively. Troubled Terrell Owens is now problem for the Buffalo Bills. While his production in Big D will be missed, fans won’t yearn for his uncompromising attitude. WR, Miles Austin, is a restricted free agent who could land with the Jets. Austin is on New York’s radar and is expected to hear from Gang Green by mid-week. Rumors are the Cowboys are asking for a second round pick, which might be too much for the Jets to forego. Marion Barber and Felix Jones make a fierce one-two punch in the backfield. Jones was the Cowboys’ first overall selection a year ago. Felix showed promise during his 2008 rookie season. Dallas doesn’t need to waste picks drafting a running back because they appear set at that position. However, I would not complain in the least if Ohio State’s Chris “Beanie” Wells was carrying the ball for my favorite football team next year.
Patrick Crayton and Whitten are the playmakers who Romo will make most of his throws to. Crayton is a crybaby but Jason is the real deal. Whitten shows splendor with his slick, sly snatches and subservient stardom. The offensive line is anything but oppressive. However, I think the stars bring enough to enable the team to compete. Romo’s lunar passes (too often to opposing teams) are potential problems but you have to like the gambling attitude. A top-ten quarterback, Romo will hold his team together on his side. The Dallas defense is another story.
Defensive droppings include Chris Canty and Anthony Henry. Canty signed with the Giants and Henry was traded to Detroit. Tank Johnson also left Dallas for greener pastures in Cincinnati, and Roy Williams was let go all together. Zach Thomas will play for the Chiefs in 2009, but the Cowboys can replace him at the linebacker position with Keith Brooking. Dallas probably should draft a few defensive lineman and definitely has to deal for secondary aid. They still boast the best defensive player in DeMarcus Ware and Greg Ellis is a classy, knowledgeable veteran. Bobby Carpenter and Gerald Sensabaugh are viable defensive players as well. Carpenter has the potential to be a great linebacker but is still unproven at this level. Sensabaugh is a stomper and I am looking forward to him coming into his own down in Big D. Replacing Johnson won’t be easy for Wade Phillips. The Cowboys have rookies, Junior Siavii and Tim Anderson in camp to take over the responsibility. I like last year’s first round pick, Mike Jenkins and think he can take over Henry’s defensive back role. Orlando Scandrick is another option at the corner or safety slot for the team.
Safety, Louis Delmas is high on the depth chart for Phillips’ team. Delmas is a Western Michigan kid I don’t anticipate hanging around long enough to become a Cowboy. His scouting reports are great and should guarantee him a first round choice. Wake Forest cornerback, Alphonso Smith could be a selection for America’s team this draft. The Cowboys are charmed by Smith’s athleticism and quickness. The ACC four year starter lacks height but has excellent footwork and the ability to make quarterbacks pay for mistakes. Smith takes risks but snagged 21 interceptions in four years at Wake.
Offensive guard, Duke Robinson, is another target for Jerry Jones’ boys. Robinson played college ball in Oklahoma in Sam Bradford’s high-octane offense. Robinson’s disposition is nasty and he is a good run blocker. He also moves well for a big guy but can be sloppy at times. The explosive former Sooner would have to compete with Kyle Kosier for a starting spot. The Cowboys have the 51st selection in the draft, and if Duke is still on the board, they should draft him. He most likely won’t be around when the Cowboys make their second selection. The take-charge guard is one of the top in this year’s draft class.
Herman Johnson is also an offensive guard widening the eyes of scouts. The Cowboys could select he LSU All-American, who also has experience at the right tackle position. The versatile Johnson has limited mobility due to his size but is still a capable pick in the second or third round. Nose tackle, Dorell Scott, from Clemson might also land in Dallas if the Cowboys desire to fill a backup hole there. OLB, Julius Williams, is a long shot to wear Dallas blue. The Connecticut pass rushing prospect had 14.5 sacks in his junior and senior year.
Oregon State’s, Andy LeVitre, shows completive drive and strength as a guard. LeVitre’s keen awareness in pass protection is exactly what Dallas needs. He would make a productive backup on the weak Cowboys offensive line. Staying in Oregon, but scouting the Ducks, the draft will feature a safety, Patrick Chung. The 5’11” Chung is considered one of the chief strong safeties in the draft. The open-field tackler makes hard hits and plays smart football. The Cowboys are interested in using Patrick on special teams or in short yardage situations. Don’t look for him to be an interception machine despite his acute anticipation ability. Texas Tech safety, Darcel McBath, is a solid mid-round pick who could be a cover man for Dallas. McBath would play behind Sensabaugh and he can physically cover any receiver. McBath played Big 12 football and seems to be a quick learner. His seven interceptions last year are intriguing enough for Dallas to dig deeper into drafting him.
Baylor WR, Thomas White, worked out for the Cowboys this week. Missouri QB, Chase Daniel and Sam Houston QB, Rhett Bomar were also part of the workouts. White is projected as a late-round Cowboys selection. A wideout who made some eye-popping plays during his workouts is Ramses Barden. Barden caught for Cal Poly and ranks as high as number nine in this year’s draft. Ramses takes long strides and his strong hands make him a dangerous threat downfield, especially after the catch. If Dallas waits to draft a wideout, they could end up landing small-school star, Dudley Guice. The Northwestern State (LA) graduate would install speed and size to the offense.
Dallas’ current backup quarterback is former Lion, Joe Kitna. Number three would be Brooks Bollinger. I hesitate to put any faith in Bollinger after his troubled and turmoil term last year. The team should be looking for a long-term answer somewhere in this year’s draft. The Cowboys may draft Texas A&M QB, Stephen McGee over both Daniel and Bomar. The in-state product is a prolific passer. He doesn’t throw many picks but in an Aggie offense, he didn’t have many chances either. I think West Virginia’s, Pat White, would fit the mold in Dallas better but McGee could be the next Tony Romo. Nobody is too high on his ability, citing a flawed technique in the young gunslinger. If he’s available in the sixth round or so, the Cowboys would be wise to take a chance on him.
Bomar put up stellar stats at Sam Houston and has the sheer size to overmatch the competition. But he racked up numbers against sub par teams and scouts are skeptical of his big-game ability. Daniel came up huge for Missouri and compiled massive numbers of his own. Chase was a Heisman contender when the Tigers were the top team in their conference, but fell off the radar as the losses piled on. The Cowboys don’t need a rookie quarterback to play right away and can afford to draft one late. Daniel or Texas Tech’s Graham Harrell are comparable players and excellent choices in later rounds. Both played in offensively-focused college systems and I think have motivation to make above-average pros. Purdue’s Curtis Painter is another justifiable pick if he should remain on the board the second day. The team has enough wiggle room to ensure a future backup is signed.
The Cowboys must re-establish their NFC East dominance. They won’t be able to unless they put the D back Dallas. Once they figure out how to stomp their opponents again, America’s team will return to the playoffs. I echo the sentiments of my fellow ‘Boys fans when reminiscing about the glory days.

Parting points: Did my eyes deceive me? Was that really Nick Swisher on the mound in the 8th last night? Who does he think he is, Wade Boggs?
Yesterday’s trivia answer is the Detroit Tigers
It’s nice to see David Wells join the TBS broadcast booth as a baseball analyst.
Rocking out to Candlebox‘s “Far Behind”