Sabin: With one month left before the draft, here are three questions...

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With one month left before the draft, here are three questions the Dallas Cowboys should consider


By Rainer Sabin
rsabin@dallasnews.com


After spending Monday entertaining ex-presidents and watching the Final Four at the palatial stadium he helped finance, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has one month left to prepare for the NFL Draft. Here are three questions he and the rest of the team’s brass must consider before they’re on the clock May 8 with the 16th overall pick.

1. Did the Cowboys improve their wretched defense during the free agency period?

Not really. The Cowboys bid farewell to two of their most prolific pass rushers, Jason Hatcher and DeMarcus Ware. Ware was released in a cost-cutting move that sent shockwaves well beyond the walls of the team’s Valley Ranch headquarters. Two days later, Hatcher, a free agent, left and signed a four-year, $27.5 million deal with rival Washington. The departures of Ware and Hatcher dented a depleted defensive line that was a hodgepodge of veteran free agents and established starters last season, when the Cowboys finished 32nd in total defense.

Following the release of Ware, the Cowboys picked up defensive end Jeremy Mincey and Terrell McClain, two players who have made a combined 21 sacks in their careers. To put that total in perspective, Ware collected 20 sacks in the 2008 season alone. Still in need of a player who could made an impact, the Cowboys went out and grabbed Henry Melton to fill the void left by Hatcher.
Melton, a former Pro Bowler who tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee last September, signed a one-year deal with a club option. He could become a fixture in the Cowboys’ defense. Then again, he may never return to the form he showed during his best seasons in Chicago. It would be risky to hedge their bets on Melton and not invest a high draft pick on a defensive tackle in the draft. The depth at that position is lacking, even if Tyrone Crawford, who didn’t play a down last season because of a torn Achilles tendon, is slotted there rather than at end.

2. Do the Cowboys have the luxury of sticking to the “best player available” draft philosophy?

No. This team still has needs. A case can be made the Cowboys must improve their personnel at safety, linebacker, offensive guard, wide receiver, defensive tackle and defensive end.

Despite the fact that the Cowboys were transitioning to a 4-3 scheme in 2013, they allocated only three of their seven picks toward defensive players last April. It was a curious decision that proved even more perplexing in light of their move to take Gavin Escobar, a tight end, in the second round.

Based on the Cowboys’ war room approach last year, the casual observer would have come away with the impression Dallas was a team on the verge of competing for a Super Bowl. After all, the Cowboys didn’t seem to be drafting players out of necessity. This year, they can’t afford to be so cavalier. Dallas needs defensive linemen. They could use a safety with range. A durable outside linebacker would be a nice addition. So would a serviceable offensive guard especially if Brian Waters decides he doesn’t want to extend his career one more season. The Cowboys will have to find the best players available at the positions that require reinforcement.

3. Does it make sense for Dallas to trade its first-round pick?

It’s too early to make that call. But Jerry Jones has a history of swapping picks. The Cowboys have executed 60 draft-day trades since he has been owner, including ones involving a first-round choice in each of the last two seasons.

The 2012 trade to grab Morris Claiborne with the sixth overall pick looks like a bad deal in retrospect. Claiborne has been a major disappointment, losing his starting job in his second season in the league. In contrast, the Cowboys realized a better outcome when they decided to exchange their 18th overall pick for San Francisco’s 31st and 74th choices last year. Dallas ended up selecting center Travis Frederick and Terrance Williams, two players who emerged as key contributors in their rookie campaigns.

Holding the 16th overall pick in the draft this year, the Cowboys aren’t guaranteed to draft a great player. But a trade, whether it’s for a higher choice or a bushel of lower picks, invites risk. Is that something the Cowboys are willing to accept during a year they desperately need to have a successful draft?
 
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