Mendez: Stephen Jones says Cowboys weren't hoping to trade down in the first round

Stephen Jones says Cowboys weren't hoping to trade down in the first round: 'It's not going to be popular'

Executive vice president Stephen Jones agrees that the Cowboys trade down frequently in the first round of the NFL draft.

But trading down is not a cause for celebration.
“Everybody thinks we’re, ‘Oh, my god, we get to make a trade, let’s just move down,’ ” he said last weekend after the second day of the draft. “It’s not going to be popular when you move down. It wasn’t what we were hoping for. You don’t play for the hoopla; you can’t get into that.

“You’ve got to manage your draft, and we felt like the best decision for us when certainly players were off the board, was to go down and do the right thing and pick up a pick, which we needed, and take a player that fits for what we need in the first round. That brings a little more value for that pick.”

The Cowboys sent their first-round pick, No. 18, to San Francisco for San Francisco’s first-round pick, No. 31, and a third-round pick, No. 74. The 31 turned into center Travis Frederick of Wisconsin, and the 74 was used for Baylor receiver Terrance Williams.

“Now, we lost a few guys that maybe would have been a little higher than even Frederick, but they didn’t make it to 31,” Jones said.

The Cowboys have broadly hinted that they had Frederick rated between 20 and 22. Jerry Jones said the Cowboys had all three of their top picks rated in the early 20s.

-- Carlos Mendez

If they had Frederick, Escobar, and Williams all rated as early 20's picks that should make it clear to even the most dense homer that Jerry and his flunkies have no idea how to evaluate talent.

simply insane...all three? give me a break

Bluestar71 said:

If they had Frederick, Escobar, and Williams all rated as early 20's picks that should make it clear to even the most dense homer that Jerry and his flunkies have no idea how to evaluate talent.

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Makes you wonder if it is true or if it is just the Cowboys blowing smoke to make everyone think they got the biggest steals in the draft. I do think Williams was a borderline first round WR. I don't think anyone would have flinched had he gone in the late first or early second round.

I actually believe them. What I also believe is that they don't fully evaluate everyone in the draft. I bet if Geno Smith/Matt Barkley/Ryan Nassib all fell to the 7th round we still wouldn't have selected them

Iamtdg said:

Jerry Jones said the Cowboys had all three of their top picks rated in the early 20s.

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Either he's a lying sack of shit or we had the worst board of the 32 teams.

boozeman said:

Either he's a lying sack of shit or we had the worst board of the 32 teams.

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Neither one of those things would surprise me in the least.

Texas Ace said:

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What are you laughing at, asshole?

It clearly was edited to cut out the coherent response about our detailed strategy.

boozeman said:

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We traded down because we promised Romo we'd get him an OL in round 1. And people act like we focused on offense to help out Garrett and give him one last shot. Don't think so. Loading up with all our high picks on offense was all about appeasing our newly re-signed 32 yr old choking QB.

And no doubt OL was our primary need. But it's never good to chase and reach for a need, especially in round one.

Iamtdg said:

The Cowboys have broadly hinted that they had Frederick rated between 20 and 22. Jerry Jones said the Cowboys had all three of their top picks rated in the early 20s.

-- Carlos Mendez

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Yeah, they keep saying that.

It means nothing when you only rank half the players or less, like we know is the case with them. In that case, a player in the 20s would actually be a mid second round pick.

So STFU Jerry.