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By Calvin Watkins 7h ago
The Cowboys war room on Friday night featured a steady mixture of conversations, two thumbs up, fist bumps and a hug.
When Day 2 of the 2019 NFL Draft concluded, Dallas had selected University of Central Florida defensive tackle Trysten Hill at No. 58 overall and Penn State guard/center Connor McGovern at No. 90 overall.
Each selection was based on conversations with college coaching staffs and a dependence on the team’s scouting department.
The conversations about who to draft in the second round revolved around Virginia safety Juan Thornhill and Hill. The Cowboys wanted upgrades on the defensive line as well as at safety. Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones has been consistent in saying the organization would be content with its current group of safeties. When it came to the defensive line, upgrading the talent and adding depth outweighed everything else.
In some ways, the Cowboys’ decision was easy.
When Philadelphia was on the clock at No. 53, Jerry Jones, Stephen Jones and Jerry Jones Jr., sat together in the war room talking about what to do. After the conversation, Jerry Jones stood up, holding a pencil in his hand as he tried to gather his thoughts.
At No. 53 overall, the Eagles snagged Penn State running back Miles Sanders.
One thing Jerry Jones likes to do is give everyone a voice. He is the team’s final decision-maker and that’s never changed, yet with a competent staff working for him, he has access to plenty of information. And more information equates to increased power in helping one make decisions.
Jones listened to defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli speak about Hill.
“I think that’s something that’s really important to him,” Marinelli said about what football means to Hill. “I know it is. That part, you could feel he’s so interested in what we do and our style of play. He really fits it, the motor, high-energy motor, good athlete. And he’s a bigger man. You don’t see that type of guy, inside, those under tackles have always been 300-pound guys, 295. This guy runs and has got the good movement and good size.”
Also in the room was defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator Kris Richard. The debate about Thornhill and Hill was on.
Will McClay, the Cowboys’ vice president in charge of player personnel, spoke about Hill and Thornhill. The possibility of trading down arose for the Cowboys during the second round. Stephen Jones said the franchise had learned from previous mistakes.
In 2009, the Cowboys didn’t have a first-round pick and traded all over the place. They made three draft trades that year, including moving their second-round pick to Buffalo for a third rounder and fourth rounder. Those selections would haunt the Cowboys in the future as tackle Robert Brewster (third round) and linebacker Victor Butler (fourth round) never developed into anything of substance.
“I think sometimes you come up and you feel like you are short on picks,” Stephen Jones said. “Probably one thing that we did learn from that draft is not to keep moving it further back to pick up picks. Just take good players. Don’t worry about trying to parlay a pick into three more picks, or four more picks later on in the draft. At the end of the day, the best picks are in the front of the draft.”
Jerry Jones sat back down between Jason Garrett and Stephen Jones, collecting thoughts. Richard stood behind McClay, talking about each player’s upside. On the other side of the room, director of college scouting Lionel Vital spoke. The clock was ticking as teams selected players. Kansas City, at No. 56, was on the clock and Chris Hall got on the phone. Hall, the Cowboys’ assistant director of college scouting, is the man who calls team officials at the draft location informing them of who to select. Hall had the phone to his right ear waiting to get the word from Jerry Jones.
There were concerns about Hill’s attitude at UCF. He was a two-year starter, gaining two sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss in his junior season. Hill was thriving in the 3-4 scheme, playing every position on the defensive line. But coach Scott Frost left UCF after two seasons to take the Nebraska job. UCF hired Josh Heupel and Randy Shannon was named the defensive coordinator. The 3-4 scheme was out and the 4-3 was in. Hill didn’t like the scheme change, but you couldn’t tell by his play. He recorded a career-high 10.5 tackles for loss and three sacks last season while making just one start in 12 games.
Regardless, Hill came with a red flag. The Cowboys scouts and coaching staff called Frost at Nebraska to find out about Hill. Everything they heard from Frost and his staff was positive. Stephen Jones said that helped make their decision an easy one. Marinelli developed a strong bond with Hill during the draft process, even getting a phone call last week from the prospect. The two discussed how visits were going with other teams; Hill was becoming a sought-after player with 15 national visits on his schedule. Hill received first-round and second-round grades from teams. The Cowboys, for the record, graded him in the second round.
Marinelli is a man who develops close relationships with players. He makes every defensive lineman he evaluates personally sign a contract about what they will do if they join the Cowboys.
A source close to Hill said the two became like “father and son” during the draft process.
“I can’t put into words how important our relationship is with each other,” Hill said. “He wants the best out of me and I want to give him everything I’ve got. Him really taking hold of me this whole process, and me being able to call him and chat with him and hear his voice was huge in this whole ordeal.”
Getting all this positive information on Hill, along with the need to upgrade the defensive line, convinced Jerry Jones to make the decision. He told Hall to inform team officials in Nashville that Hill was the pick. Father and son exchanged a fist bump, Marinelli and Richard hugged each and Jerry Jr. gave his brother two thumbs up
The Cowboys got their man, someone who was going to challenge for a starting job at the 3-technique position currently manned by Maliek Collins. The Cowboys added Kerry Hyder and Christian Covington earlier this offseason to compete with Collins as the under tackle. All of them fit what Marinelli wants: An active 300-plus pound under tackle who can push the pocket.
“I think it addresses it good,” Jerry Jones said of the defensive line. “We like where we are at left end, a lot of depth there. At right end of course, we added some depth there. The interior, with the way (Antwaun) Woods came on last year, it gives us more flex there with (Tyrone) Crawford and with (Maliek) Collins, and hopefully he is going to be healthier than, or not coming back as much challenge as he had. This really gives us a good look inside there. That was everything to do with why put that kind of emphasis on him.”
While Dallas basked in its second-round acquisition, the third round yielded further bounty. The Cowboys drafted the highest-ranked player on their board. Traditionally, the Cowboys draft players who visit their facility during the draft process. Hill visited this spring and became the 13th player in the last 14 seasons to get picked after a trip to Dallas. Not every player selected comes from the 30 national visits or among the local workouts; the Cowboys put a premium on their scouting department where at least two members of the personnel department get a look at every draftable player.
Cowboys national scout Drew Fabianich and Northeast area scout Justin Stucky evaluated McGovern.
Once again, in the war room, the decision was about the best player available and McGovern was the highest-ranked player on the team’s board at No. 90. He was the last player the team had given a second-round grade. Much like the decision with Hill, this was another easy call for Jerry Jones and his staff.
Dallas picked McGovern because of the versatility he brings to the offensive line. In his freshman season at Penn State, he started nine games at right guard, then 13 at center in his sophomore year. As a junior, McGovern moved to right guard, making 12 starts and earning one start at center.
McGovern had no idea the Cowboys were going to pick him. He had just six national visits and his work at the NFL scouting combine to showcase his skills. He didn’t work out at his pro day, opting to speak with any team that wanted to know about him.
In the war room, first-year offensive coordinator Kellen Moore stood up, talking about McGovern and his abilities. Marc Colombo, in his first full season as the team’s offensive line coach, talked about what he liked from game tape and scouting evaluations. The second-round grade was unanimous, and the Cowboys sat near the end of the third with a chance to add McGovern.
McGovern had a watch party at his family’s bar, a place called Broadway Tavern in Clarksville, Pa., on Thursday night. He was hoping he would get drafted in the first round. When it didn’t happen, the McGoverns held another watch party. This time, McGovern was selected.
“My heart just kind of exploded,” McGovern said. “I’m still living in this surreal moment right now.”
The selection brought a mixture of questions about the offensive line. Is McGovern a center or guard? Garrett said McGovern will play both.
Is there something wrong with Travis Frederick?
Nope. Stephen Jones said Frederick, who missed last season recovering from Guillain-Barre Syndrome, is working out with his teammates during offseason workouts. There is an expectation Frederick will be available for practices in training camp in Oxnard, Calif., in late July.
Is there something else?
Connor Williams, the starting left guard, could move to right tackle in the future if he gains enough strength. The Cowboys are pleased with the weight Williams gained this offseason and encouraged it will help him become a viable starting lineman in 2019. McGovern’s skill set, however, creates competition for 2019 and quite possibly the future. Current starting right tackle La’el Collins enters the final year of his contract with a base salary of $6.5 million in 2019. Collins is seeking a larger deal when he enters free agency in 2020. With the Cowboys already working on contract extensions for quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver Amari Cooper and cornerback Byron Jones this year, a new contract for Collins seems doubtful.
McGovern was a fit for many reasons.
“When you miss a caliber of the player of Travis, it certainly reminds you of you can’t have enough of those guys,” Stephen Jones said. “We feel great about Travis and I think he’s ready to go but you never know what’s going to happen when you have five guys on an offensive line. You’re gonna have some players miss games, which we see every year, whether its Travis, a Tyron (Smith), Connor. Those guys get dinged up and you need good football players.”
On the draft’s second night, Dallas picked up two good football players. We won’t know whether they succeed in the NFL for some time. The process in which they were obtained proved the Cowboys are headed in the right direction.
[HR][/HR]
Well, thank goodness Marinelli and Hill formed such a bond. I'm sure that had nothing to do with the decision. I would rather our DC and a rookie have a Father/Son relationship than getting the better talent for sure.
By Calvin Watkins 7h ago
The Cowboys war room on Friday night featured a steady mixture of conversations, two thumbs up, fist bumps and a hug.
When Day 2 of the 2019 NFL Draft concluded, Dallas had selected University of Central Florida defensive tackle Trysten Hill at No. 58 overall and Penn State guard/center Connor McGovern at No. 90 overall.
Each selection was based on conversations with college coaching staffs and a dependence on the team’s scouting department.
The conversations about who to draft in the second round revolved around Virginia safety Juan Thornhill and Hill. The Cowboys wanted upgrades on the defensive line as well as at safety. Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones has been consistent in saying the organization would be content with its current group of safeties. When it came to the defensive line, upgrading the talent and adding depth outweighed everything else.
In some ways, the Cowboys’ decision was easy.
When Philadelphia was on the clock at No. 53, Jerry Jones, Stephen Jones and Jerry Jones Jr., sat together in the war room talking about what to do. After the conversation, Jerry Jones stood up, holding a pencil in his hand as he tried to gather his thoughts.
At No. 53 overall, the Eagles snagged Penn State running back Miles Sanders.
One thing Jerry Jones likes to do is give everyone a voice. He is the team’s final decision-maker and that’s never changed, yet with a competent staff working for him, he has access to plenty of information. And more information equates to increased power in helping one make decisions.
Jones listened to defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli speak about Hill.
“I think that’s something that’s really important to him,” Marinelli said about what football means to Hill. “I know it is. That part, you could feel he’s so interested in what we do and our style of play. He really fits it, the motor, high-energy motor, good athlete. And he’s a bigger man. You don’t see that type of guy, inside, those under tackles have always been 300-pound guys, 295. This guy runs and has got the good movement and good size.”
Also in the room was defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator Kris Richard. The debate about Thornhill and Hill was on.
Will McClay, the Cowboys’ vice president in charge of player personnel, spoke about Hill and Thornhill. The possibility of trading down arose for the Cowboys during the second round. Stephen Jones said the franchise had learned from previous mistakes.
In 2009, the Cowboys didn’t have a first-round pick and traded all over the place. They made three draft trades that year, including moving their second-round pick to Buffalo for a third rounder and fourth rounder. Those selections would haunt the Cowboys in the future as tackle Robert Brewster (third round) and linebacker Victor Butler (fourth round) never developed into anything of substance.
“I think sometimes you come up and you feel like you are short on picks,” Stephen Jones said. “Probably one thing that we did learn from that draft is not to keep moving it further back to pick up picks. Just take good players. Don’t worry about trying to parlay a pick into three more picks, or four more picks later on in the draft. At the end of the day, the best picks are in the front of the draft.”
Jerry Jones sat back down between Jason Garrett and Stephen Jones, collecting thoughts. Richard stood behind McClay, talking about each player’s upside. On the other side of the room, director of college scouting Lionel Vital spoke. The clock was ticking as teams selected players. Kansas City, at No. 56, was on the clock and Chris Hall got on the phone. Hall, the Cowboys’ assistant director of college scouting, is the man who calls team officials at the draft location informing them of who to select. Hall had the phone to his right ear waiting to get the word from Jerry Jones.
There were concerns about Hill’s attitude at UCF. He was a two-year starter, gaining two sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss in his junior season. Hill was thriving in the 3-4 scheme, playing every position on the defensive line. But coach Scott Frost left UCF after two seasons to take the Nebraska job. UCF hired Josh Heupel and Randy Shannon was named the defensive coordinator. The 3-4 scheme was out and the 4-3 was in. Hill didn’t like the scheme change, but you couldn’t tell by his play. He recorded a career-high 10.5 tackles for loss and three sacks last season while making just one start in 12 games.
Regardless, Hill came with a red flag. The Cowboys scouts and coaching staff called Frost at Nebraska to find out about Hill. Everything they heard from Frost and his staff was positive. Stephen Jones said that helped make their decision an easy one. Marinelli developed a strong bond with Hill during the draft process, even getting a phone call last week from the prospect. The two discussed how visits were going with other teams; Hill was becoming a sought-after player with 15 national visits on his schedule. Hill received first-round and second-round grades from teams. The Cowboys, for the record, graded him in the second round.
Marinelli is a man who develops close relationships with players. He makes every defensive lineman he evaluates personally sign a contract about what they will do if they join the Cowboys.
A source close to Hill said the two became like “father and son” during the draft process.
“I can’t put into words how important our relationship is with each other,” Hill said. “He wants the best out of me and I want to give him everything I’ve got. Him really taking hold of me this whole process, and me being able to call him and chat with him and hear his voice was huge in this whole ordeal.”
Getting all this positive information on Hill, along with the need to upgrade the defensive line, convinced Jerry Jones to make the decision. He told Hall to inform team officials in Nashville that Hill was the pick. Father and son exchanged a fist bump, Marinelli and Richard hugged each and Jerry Jr. gave his brother two thumbs up
The Cowboys got their man, someone who was going to challenge for a starting job at the 3-technique position currently manned by Maliek Collins. The Cowboys added Kerry Hyder and Christian Covington earlier this offseason to compete with Collins as the under tackle. All of them fit what Marinelli wants: An active 300-plus pound under tackle who can push the pocket.
“I think it addresses it good,” Jerry Jones said of the defensive line. “We like where we are at left end, a lot of depth there. At right end of course, we added some depth there. The interior, with the way (Antwaun) Woods came on last year, it gives us more flex there with (Tyrone) Crawford and with (Maliek) Collins, and hopefully he is going to be healthier than, or not coming back as much challenge as he had. This really gives us a good look inside there. That was everything to do with why put that kind of emphasis on him.”
While Dallas basked in its second-round acquisition, the third round yielded further bounty. The Cowboys drafted the highest-ranked player on their board. Traditionally, the Cowboys draft players who visit their facility during the draft process. Hill visited this spring and became the 13th player in the last 14 seasons to get picked after a trip to Dallas. Not every player selected comes from the 30 national visits or among the local workouts; the Cowboys put a premium on their scouting department where at least two members of the personnel department get a look at every draftable player.
Cowboys national scout Drew Fabianich and Northeast area scout Justin Stucky evaluated McGovern.
Once again, in the war room, the decision was about the best player available and McGovern was the highest-ranked player on the team’s board at No. 90. He was the last player the team had given a second-round grade. Much like the decision with Hill, this was another easy call for Jerry Jones and his staff.
Dallas picked McGovern because of the versatility he brings to the offensive line. In his freshman season at Penn State, he started nine games at right guard, then 13 at center in his sophomore year. As a junior, McGovern moved to right guard, making 12 starts and earning one start at center.
McGovern had no idea the Cowboys were going to pick him. He had just six national visits and his work at the NFL scouting combine to showcase his skills. He didn’t work out at his pro day, opting to speak with any team that wanted to know about him.
In the war room, first-year offensive coordinator Kellen Moore stood up, talking about McGovern and his abilities. Marc Colombo, in his first full season as the team’s offensive line coach, talked about what he liked from game tape and scouting evaluations. The second-round grade was unanimous, and the Cowboys sat near the end of the third with a chance to add McGovern.
McGovern had a watch party at his family’s bar, a place called Broadway Tavern in Clarksville, Pa., on Thursday night. He was hoping he would get drafted in the first round. When it didn’t happen, the McGoverns held another watch party. This time, McGovern was selected.
“My heart just kind of exploded,” McGovern said. “I’m still living in this surreal moment right now.”
The selection brought a mixture of questions about the offensive line. Is McGovern a center or guard? Garrett said McGovern will play both.
Is there something wrong with Travis Frederick?
Nope. Stephen Jones said Frederick, who missed last season recovering from Guillain-Barre Syndrome, is working out with his teammates during offseason workouts. There is an expectation Frederick will be available for practices in training camp in Oxnard, Calif., in late July.
Is there something else?
Connor Williams, the starting left guard, could move to right tackle in the future if he gains enough strength. The Cowboys are pleased with the weight Williams gained this offseason and encouraged it will help him become a viable starting lineman in 2019. McGovern’s skill set, however, creates competition for 2019 and quite possibly the future. Current starting right tackle La’el Collins enters the final year of his contract with a base salary of $6.5 million in 2019. Collins is seeking a larger deal when he enters free agency in 2020. With the Cowboys already working on contract extensions for quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver Amari Cooper and cornerback Byron Jones this year, a new contract for Collins seems doubtful.
McGovern was a fit for many reasons.
“When you miss a caliber of the player of Travis, it certainly reminds you of you can’t have enough of those guys,” Stephen Jones said. “We feel great about Travis and I think he’s ready to go but you never know what’s going to happen when you have five guys on an offensive line. You’re gonna have some players miss games, which we see every year, whether its Travis, a Tyron (Smith), Connor. Those guys get dinged up and you need good football players.”
On the draft’s second night, Dallas picked up two good football players. We won’t know whether they succeed in the NFL for some time. The process in which they were obtained proved the Cowboys are headed in the right direction.
[HR][/HR]
Well, thank goodness Marinelli and Hill formed such a bond. I'm sure that had nothing to do with the decision. I would rather our DC and a rookie have a Father/Son relationship than getting the better talent for sure.
