Gosselin: My Cowboys re-draft yields just one player Jerry & Co. picked

Gosselin: My Cowboys re-draft yields just one player Jerry & Co. picked
Rick Gosselin



rgosselin@dallasnews.com

Published: 08 January 2014 07:01 PM

Updated: 08 January 2014 07:01 PM

Back on April 30, I wrote an NFL draft column and asked readers to clip and save. It’s time to pull that column out and see how you fared with a re-draft for the Cowboys.

Here's a link to that column, in which I presented readers with five options for each of the Cowboys' picks in the 2013 draft.

Here's was how I handled the Cowboys' re-draft.

Starting at 18, instead of trading down for center Travis Frederick and a third-rounder, you stay put and draft LSU safety Eric Reid. Even though Cowboys director of personnel Stephen Jones said at the time the 18th spot was “too rich for him,” Reid wound up starting 16 games as a rookie for San Francisco, which had the No. 3 defense in the NFL. He made 67 tackles, had four interceptions and recovered two fumbles. Yes, the Cowboys needed a safety then as now.

At 47 in the second round, instead of taking tight end Gavin Escobar, you select Kentucky guard Larry Warford. He was a walk-in starter for Detroit, which had the No. 6 offense. Warford started all 16 games on a Lions team that allowed the second-fewest sacks in the NFL (23). Tony Romo could use all the protection he can get.

At 80 in the third round, instead of taking safety J.J. Wilcox - you already addressed that need with your first-round pick - you select Illinois guard Hugh Thornton. He started 12 games for the AFC South champion Indianapolis Colts. Warford and Thornton solidify your interior offensive line.

At 114 in the fourth round, instead of cornerback B.W. Webb, you select Rutgers coverage linebacker Khaseem Greene. In a Tampa 2 scheme that asks its linebackers to cover, not blitz, Greene could step in on the strongside where the Cowboys shuffled veterans Justin Durant and Ernie Sims. Greene would be a cheaper option on a team with few salary-cap dollars to spare. Greene started four games for the Bears, including their victory over the Cowboys. He made 28 tackles on the season, broke up one pass, intercepted another and forced a fumble.

At 151 in the fifth round, instead of halfback Joseph Randle, you select Iowa defensive back Micah Hyde. He wound up starting three games as a nickel corner on the NFC North champion Green Bay Packers. He made 55 tackles with a sack and a forced fumble on defense and also averaged 12.3 yards as Green Bay’s primary punt returner with a touchdown. The Packers converted him from college safety to NFL cornerback, so he’d give you versatility at the back end.

At 185 in the sixth round, you stick with the Cowboys’ choice at this spot - South Carolina linebacker DeVonte Holloman. He was another cover backer in the 2013 draft. The Cowboys proved to be in dire need of coverage players in 2013, finishing 30th in the NFL in pass defense, so Greene, Hyde and Holloman could have all contributed. Holloman did - starting the final two games for the Cowboys. He was the best defensive player on the field in the winner-take-all finale with his 11 tackles and two sacks. Greene, Hollomon and Lee would have cemented the Cowboys’ future at the linebacker position.

And there you have it. We’ll do this exercise again next May and see if you can build the Cowboys better and faster through the draft than the Jones family.

I hate stuff like this unless whoever is doing it can be fair and acknowledge who they would have taken at the time of the draft. I was thrilled with Frederick after the trade down, I wanted Bennie Logan, Warford, Sio Moore and probably a handful of others in the 2nd, I was good with Williams in the 3rd, wanted Damontre Moore at 80, Khaseem Greene was one of my top choices in the 4th, same with Hyde in the 5th and I loved Holloman in the 6th.

I'm sure there were a bunch of other names I wanted in various spots as well but I haven't looked it all up.

Simpleton said:

I hate stuff like this unless whoever is doing it can be fair and acknowledge who they would have taken at the time of the draft. I was thrilled with Frederick after the trade down, I wanted Bennie Logan, Warford, Sio Moore and probably a handful of others in the 2nd, I was good with Williams in the 3rd, wanted Damontre Moore at 80, Khaseem Greene was one of my top choices in the 4th, same with Hyde in the 5th and I loved Holloman in the 6th.

I'm sure there were a bunch of other names I wanted in various spots as well but I haven't looked it all up.

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I was against the Bennie Logan thing because I knew we liked him, but he played pretty well in Philly. Warford was a huge miss, but that is what you get when you pigeonhole players thinking they cannot play in your scheme.

boozeman said:

I was against the Bennie Logan thing because I knew we liked him, but he played pretty well in Philly. Warford was a huge miss, but that is what you get when you pigeonhole players thinking they cannot play in your scheme.

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Not a zone player, sorry, Leary's huge ass is though obviously.

Eric Reid is not even worth Travis Frederick, let alone Travis Frederick and Terrance Williams combined. Take Reid out of San Francisco and you have a good player struggling to compensate for his teammates' inability to do their job.

With Frederick I'm seeing a culture develop of the interior linemen battling to get two blocks on every play. Eric Reid makes a fraction of that impact.

Turning our 1st rounder into Frederick and Williams was one of the few good moves Jerry has made in the draft lately. It could have been a decent draft if they didn't sandwich Escobar

dallen said:

Turning our 1st rounder into Frederick and Williams was one of the few good moves Jerry has made in the draft lately. It could have been a decent draft if they didn't sandwich Escobar

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That Escobar pick was a colossal fuck up. Most of this board was screaming for Warford. I wanted a DL or Eddie Lacy but would of course been happy with Warford. To say Escobar was a reach by one full round is being generous.

Escobar was a 2nd-3rd round prospect, I don't think taking him in that range was a reach, it's just a completely idiotic use of resources in our particular situation.

It'll be on Escobar to replace Witten in the starting lineup...thats the only way to salvage his 2nd round status

Simpleton said:

Escobar was a 2nd-3rd round prospect, I don't think taking him in that range was a reach, it's just a completely idiotic use of resources in our particular situation.

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Ayuh.

Simpleton said:

Escobar was a 2nd-3rd round prospect, I don't think taking him in that range was a reach, it's just a completely idiotic use of resources in our particular situation.

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That's the was I see it also.

More plausible would be no trade and just draft Reid in rd 1, Frederick in rd 2

pdom said:

More plausible would be no trade and just draft Reid in rd 1, Frederick in rd 2

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Yes, but you can't assume Frederick would be there in round 2.

Even though it's possible.

mschmidt64 said:

Yes, but you can't assume Frederick would be there in round 2.

Even though it's possible.

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With the way Olinemen were flying off the board, I'm not so sure he would have been there at our 2nd pick.

I wasn't all that thrilled with the Escobar pick for us, though, I thought he was an interesting prospect. The problem is the 2 TE offense has never been fully utilized by us.

In the off-season if the Fasano trade, it was stated by Jerry, I think, that there was going to be changes because some players were out there making the same mistakes repeatedly. Then, Fasano was later traded.

Then the whole Bennett fiasco.

I can't tell if it's a matter of them acquiring the wrong player, repeatedly, as the second TE. Or if Garrett is incapable of making that offense work.

But last year, our base package 11 was our best IMO.