The NFL Draft - On The Clock, Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
Pick: #4
Top Needs: CB, DL, (4-3), ILB, QB, RB
Top Targets: Joey Bosa, DeForest Buckner, Carson Wentz, Myles Jack, Jaylon Smith
Off The Board:
1. Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss (TENNESSEE TITANS)
2. Jared Goff, QB, Cal (CLEVELAND BROWNS)
3. Jalen Ramsey, DB, Florida State (SAN DIEGO CHARGERS)
The Cowboys ... okay, first I just need to acknowledge that I hate the Cowboys in general, and I don't enjoy the process of thinking about how to make them better, etc. That's just life. Let's proceed.
There seems to be a growing consensus that because the Cowboys were helpless when Tony Romo went down means they should draft a QB high here ... and then, this will propel them to winning enough that they won't be in a position to take a top-4 player (e.g, QB to replace Romo, eventually) any time soon. I love the optimism, but it's really in my mind an overly simple way of looking at it. EVERY team in the league is going to flail when their QB - their most important, most highly paid, player on the team - goes out with an injury.
The teams that DO succeed generally don't do it because of the talent of the backup QB. It's generally that this QB can hold it together while the running game, defense and simple short passing routes open up. Look at how the Broncos dealt with Peyton Manning's injury with Osweiler this past year, or other examples like Matt Cassel.
What's more is this - Tony Romo counts at minimum $20MM this year against the cap, and $24MM next season. That's guaranteed unless they restructure the last contract and make that same problem count to some degree in 2018, which isn't smart. So .. they're really going to draft a QB with the hopes he'll play ZERO snaps his first two years in the league...in which case you'll have him for no more than two guaranteed seasons before he hits free agency?
I don't get that. And so, I'm not playing it that way. Sorry, Carson Wentz.
I think instead, that they should sign Robert Griffin III with the intention of grooming him and letting him get better with Romo, etc. Then, they should make the rest of their team stronger. That should start up front on the defensive line -- the Greg Hardy experiment seems over. Randy Gregory just got suspended for the first four games of the year (which means this is already his fourth infraction according to league rules), and DeMarcus Lawrence's off-season surgery apparently revealed more damage than the team had thought.
The team can absolutely use help in the middle and look at someone like Myles Jack or Jaylon Smith, or look for really any good talent for the secondary ... but to me, it's a no-brainer. They should RUN to the podium and draft Joey Bosa.
THE PICK: Joey Bosa, DE, (The) Ohio State (University).
Bosa was the pre-season expectation for the first overall pick, and looks to be a potential terror at defensive end in a 4-3 scheme. Scouts say he's scheme-versatile, but folks smarter than me say he's a more natural fit for this scheme, and I buy it. (As a 49ers fan, I've seen Tank Carradine, a tremendous college talent, struggle so bad with that switch that the team is going to try him at OLB.)
Bosa can add strength at a team weakness, and potentially be a franchise player there. He spent most of this year drawing double and even triple coverage against him, freeing up his teammates for some gaudier stats, and when matched up one-on-one using his size and speed to stop the run and put pressure in the backfield. He seems perfect for the Cowboys, which ... makes me sad - but hey, this is how I think they get better. In the next few rounds, they can find potential starters at LB, DB, RB and even QB as well. With a strong draft focused on the defense (and heck, throw in a viable WR prospect while you're at it), the Cowboys could show some strength in the rather uneven NFC East.