General Thoughts on the Dallas Cowboys 2012 NFL Draft
The 2012 NFL Draft will be remembered as the year the Cowboys traded up to select LSU CB Morris Claiborne. The success of Claiborne may define this draft class, at least in the early years. The selections made by the Dallas Cowboys were interesting for a variety of reasons. Here are some general observations:
Nov 26, 2011; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington State Cougars running back Rickey Galvin (5) runs with the ball as Washington Huskies defensive tackle Alameda Ta
1. It was a bit surprising that the Dallas Cowboys didn’t draft a NT. Alameda Ta’amu went at 109; the Cowboys took OLB Kyle Wilber at 113. Ta’amu is 21 years old, 6 foot 3, and 348 pounds, and many believe that he will eventually be a solid starter in the NFL.
It seems that every year the fans, pundits, and analysts all believe that the Cowboys should, and therefore will, move Jay Ratliff to DE. Moving Ratliff to DE would require a replacement NT. Rob Ryan’s history of working with mammoth NT’s further strengthened the belief that the Cowboys would acquire a true NT in free agency or in the draft.
Like every year, both Stephen and Jerry Jones held steadfast in their claim that the plan was for Jay Ratliff to remain at NT, but many people thought that it was a smokescreen this time; it wasn’t.
The Dallas Cowboys signed 21 rookie free agents; none of them play DT.
2. It was also a bit surprising the Cowboys did not look for a back-up swing tackle in the later rounds. Cowboy fans try to forget that Jeremy Parnell was the ONLY back-up tackle on the roster last season.
Parnell was undrafted in 2009; he was signed to the New Orleans Saints practice squad. Parnell played basketball for 4 years in college; he played one season of football as a DE. He has never played a snap in a regular NFL contest. The idea of Jeremy Parnell being forced into service and being responsible for protecting the edge for Tony Romo frightens even the most optimistic fans.
Despite not signing an experienced swing tackle in free agency, or drafting a back-up in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Cowboys did sign a few rookie free agents who play tackle, including: Jeff Adams (Columbia), Levy Adcock (Oklahoma State), Taylor Dever (Notre Dame), and Tyrone Novikoff (Idaho).
The Cowboys were extremely fortunate that neither Doug Free or Tyron Smith missed any significant time last season. It is hard to imagine that Jeremy Parnell is the long-term solution to the absolute necessity of having a decent back-up swing tackle. The training camp battle for back-up tackle will be an important one to watch.
I wasn’t surprised that the Cowboys failed to draft an interior lineman. The Cowboys seem content to go into training camp with the two free agents (Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau) and four young guys (Kevin Kowalski, David Arkin, Bill Nagy, and Phil Costa); that is 6 players to fill 3 positions. I suggested recently that it was reasonable to expect a significant improvement from the four young OL.
Nov 5, 2011; Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Tommy Rees (11) throws the ball under pressure from Wake Forest Demon Deacons linebacker Kyle Wilber (97) in the second quarter at BB
3. The Cowboys used their first four draft picks on defensive players for the first time since 1982. Could this be more evidence of the Jason Garrett Effect? Jerry has never used his first four picks on defense since he bought the Cowboys in 1989, so it seems plausible that the new HC might have something to do with it. Moreover, it seems to make Jason Garrett sense.
Think about it: last season Garrett grabbed the pieces (DeMarco Murray, Tyron Smith, David Arkin, Bill Nagy) he needed to begin solidifying his offense. They only drafted two defensive players. This strategy allowed Rob Ryan to have all of last year to evaluate the current roster and a free agency period, before making a concerted effort to rebuild the defense through the draft. It appears that Jason Garrett is implementing a multi-year plan to improve the Cowboys.
4. The trade for Morris Claiborne is also evidence of the ‘Jason Garrett Effect’. The basis for this belief is that Jerry Jones finally fleeced another GM, rather than getting fleeced.
When was the last time that Jerry Jones made a deal and the consensus was that the Cowboys made out better than the other team? It doesn’t matter whether you agree with the outcome of the trade, the point is that giving up only a 2nd round pick to move up to the 6th spot in the draft was an extremely good deal, and Jerry Jones doesn’t exactly have a history of making really shrewd deals.
One of the differences between the deal for Claiborne and previous trades engineered by Jerry Jones, is that Jones did not go into the draft craving Morris Claiborne. If Jones had predetermined that he wanted Claiborne, it is likely that he would have got fleeced. But, with Jason Garrett at the helm, the Cowboys were content to follow their board and let deals/offers come to them. As a result of Jason Garrett’s patience and the absence of a discernible desire to land Claiborne, Jerry Jones was finally able to orchestrate a trade in which he didn’t get the short end of the stick.
Dec. 22, 2011; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Boise State Broncos quarterback (11) Kellen Moore in the first quarter against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the 2011 Las Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE
5. Am I the only one who was utterly astounded that no one drafted Kellen Moore? It has to make you wonder what the 32 NFL teams know about Moore that we don’t.
It doesn’t appear that the Cowboys made an effort to sign Moore, so it looks like finding Romo’s replacement will wait another year (unless you think that Stephen McGee will eventually be that guy).
6. Based solely on the reports available about S Matt Johnson, it appears that the Cowboys may have made a reach with this pick because of their need for a safety. Almost everything out there suggests that Johnson would have been available later in the draft, perhaps even as a free agent.
I look forward to reading what our resident draft expert (Cas) has to say about this selection.
7. With both Alex Albright and Victor Butler ahead of him on the depth chart, Kyle Wilber, the OLB from Wake Forest selected in the 4th round, will likely need to make an impact on special teams to make the 53 man roster.
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