2018 Cowboys Draft Chatter Thread...

Cowboysrock55 said:

I agree.

As far as the contingent at the pro day I'm not too worried. Alabama is continually the most talented team in college football. We sure as shit should be at their pro day. Plus I doubt Garrett is going to be pounding the table for any defensive players. If he is there to check out anyone it would be Ridley.

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Last time we took this kind of a contingent to a pro day was to OSU last year. We took Zeke at #4.

Garrett is just there to look for McCarron. Boy is he going to be surprised.

Rev said:

Just because you have 8 doesn't mean you have to settle. I think he could be a significant upgrade at the slot and just happens to return kicks as well.

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Yeah we have a lot of WR's but guys like Thompson bounce around the NFL all the time. He played for two teams alone last year. And frankly Beasley is very limited which is why teams sort of figured him out last year. He is awesome at a few things but if you can't threaten a team deep it sort of allowed teams to predict what he is going to do and bracket him. A guy like Kirk would take a bracket like that and burn a team deep.

Iamtdg said:

Last time we took this kind of a contingent to a pro day was to OSU last year. We took Zeke at #4.

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If you're reading into it then I'd say they are really high on Ridley.

Cowboysrock55 said:

If you're reading into it then I'd say they are really high on Ridley.

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I agree, and me no likey.

Cowboysrock55 said:

A lot of the pass rush I saw from him was unblocked. Shit a lot of his great plays that I've seen have been giant lanes that he was able to run up and fill. I think offenses had a lot of respect for the Dline at Alabama and sort of made it easy for him. Even still 74 tackles just sort of makes me uncomfortable for a middle LBer. I just think he's being overhyped. I don't think I really want him until our second round pick.

Maybe I'm underselling him a bit on that. I just don't see the upside there. I've gone back and watched some of the blitzes. He actually does have a swim move and such. But I'd say a good half of those he just wasn't blocked. Or he was running around an OT who is just too slow in college football for a 230 pound guy.

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Did you watch him against Clemson?

He had a strong game and showed a ridiculous inside spin to beat the RT that an off-ball LB should not be able to do.

I'm not enamored with him by any means, he's part of a very large group of guys who I'd really like if we can move down to 28 or so but who I'd be lukewarm about at 19. I don't love him at 19 but if he's the pick I'm ok with it.

Also, evaluating LB's can be difficult. Like check this one play at about 8:26 in the 2nd vs. Georgia, inside zone read option, he reads the play and attacks downhill immediately, helping stop the play for no gain. He doesn't have to take on a block but that's because he is able to react quick enough and takes an angle to the ball that allows him to avoid the RT who is climbing to the 2nd level. Now part of that play is the Alabama DL not getting blown off the ball, Evans doesn't have a OL in his face immediately which allows him to get downhill, and that can make it difficult because he's definitely benefiting from the DL play but he's also showing an ability to diagnose quickly and take proper angles.

Or at 9:20 in the 4th, it's an outside zone play, he doesn't have to take on a block but that's because he reads the play, doesn't hesitate, he knows what his gap assignment is, he works around the outside flank of the formation which is the TE combo-blocking the OLB with the LT, but that TE is supposed to climb to the next level as the play progresses outside but Evans shoots around him into the backfield before he is able to leave the OLB. He effectively takes away the edge of a play that is designed to work outside to his direction and the backside pursuit is able to finish it off for a loss. How much of that is the talent of the DL/OLB's to pursue backside? To hold the point frontside? How much of it is the TE not climbing quick enough?

Difficult to know but these are examples of play where he looks unblocked but in reality he's also showing traits that translate to success.

Overall I think he's aggressive and physical downhill when engaging, has very good range, he diagnoses quickly, especially on screens and is able to work into the backfield to blow it up, he seems to have good awareness in zone to feel routes developing around him and his athleticism looks fine as far as man coverage as long as you aren't asking him to cover elite TE's/RB's in single coverage all day.

My main concerns are the lack of INT's/PD's and the low tackle numbers, I think he could improve his tackling form a bit also but that's a relatively minor gripe, but when you watch the games he looks very impressive and seems to fly around. There's no way to really account for how much he benefits playing on such a talented defense, that's another concern you have to consider with Alabama guys, but you have guys like Mosley and Collins in recent years who are among the best in the league so you kind of just have to roll with that.

Cowboysrock55 said:

If you're reading into it then I'd say they are really high on Ridley.

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And this would go against what seems to have been their WR philosophy over the last 5 or so years. Big, physical "outside" WR's who are 6-2, 200+. This guy is 6-1 and barely even 190.

Perhaps it's a shift in philosophy due to Dak, maybe they want guys who can get quick separation in the first 10 yards with route running, or it could be an overreaction to Dez's inability to run clean routes. Who knows?

At the end of the day I'd be ok with Ridley at 19, certainly not thrilled though.

Simpleton said:

And this would go against what seems to have been their WR philosophy over the last 5 or so years. Big, physical "outside" WR's who are 6-2, 200+. This guy is 6-1 and barely even 190.

Perhaps it's a shift in philosophy due to Dak, maybe they want guys who can get quick separation in the first 10 yards with route running, or it could be an overreaction to Dez's inability to run clean routes. Who knows?

At the end of the day I'd be ok with Ridley at 19, certainly not thrilled though.

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Ridley is definitely my favorite of the Alabama guys. But now that we added Hurns I'm actually ok going WR a little later. Vea to me is actually ideal in the first. A guy who will make our LBers jobs way easier. Our coaches horribly underrate that ability. And now that he is visiting I feel like I can at least mention him.

Hernandez is like the offensive version of Vea for me. Just a wrecking ball who will make it easier to run the ball and in turn easier to pass the ball. So I'd love either of those two guys. I'm obviously very high on Derwin James but I don't put high odds on him getting to us.

First rounders who wouldn't freak me out but I would be feh on would be the Vander Esch, James Daniels (Go Hawks), and Kolton Miller types. Sure they'd probably be good players for us. But I just don't see dominance. I guess Evans falls in that group for me as well. I think he'd be a solid MLBer for us but maybe a 4 or 5 year kind of guy.

Simpleton said:

Did you watch him against Clemson?

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Which site are you using to watch the games on? I'm certainly open to going back and looking.

Cowboysrock55 said:

Which site are you using to watch the games on? I'm certainly open to going back and looking.

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Just Youtube cut-ups of his individual games, I can't post them from this computer but just go type in "Rashaan Evans 2017" and you'll see plenty. I only watched Clemson and Georgia really quickly for what it's worth although I had looked at LSU a while ago.

Cowboysrock55 said:

Ridley is definitely my favorite of the Alabama guys. But now that we added Hurns I'm actually ok going WR a little later. Vea to me is actually ideal in the first. A guy who will make our LBers jobs way easier. Our coaches horribly underrate that ability. And now that he is visiting I feel like I can at least mention him.

Hernandez is like the offensive version of Vea for me. Just a wrecking ball who will make it easier to run the ball and in turn easier to pass the ball. So I'd love either of those two guys. I'm obviously very high on Derwin James but I don't put high odds on him getting to us.

First rounders who wouldn't freak me out but I would be feh on would be the Vander Esch, James Daniels (Go Hawks), and Kolton Miller types. Sure they'd probably be good players for us. But I just don't see dominance. I guess Evans falls in that group for me as well. I think he'd be a solid MLBer for us but maybe a 4 or 5 year kind of guy.

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Kolton Miller is in a different group for me, that would truly infuriate me. He is the only guy who I think would be a huge reach, and I assume we'd be taking him over better OL prospects like Hernandez or Wynn.

Simpleton said:

Just Youtube cut-ups of his individual games, I can't post them from this computer but just go type in "Rashaan Evans 2017" and you'll see plenty. I only watched Clemson and Georgia really quickly for what it's worth although I had looked at LSU a while ago.

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Oh ok, I knew there use to be a site with full game cut ups, was hoping you found that. I've basically been doing what you said on Evans.

Cowboysrock55 said:

Oh ok, I knew there use to be a site with full game cut ups, was hoping you found that. I've basically been doing what you said on Evans.

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Draftbreakdown right?

These are more or less the same thing, they aren't highlight videos, but I can't say for sure that they are every single play of each game.

Simpleton said:

Draftbreakdown right?

These are more or less the same thing, they aren't highlight videos, but I can't say for sure that they are every single play of each game.

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Yeah that sounds right. I like watching every play they are on the field. Just gives me a better idea of their total game. Of course Paynes highlight film for example is so boring I couldn't watch any more.

Cowboysrock55 said:

Yeah that sounds right. I like watching every play they are on the field. Just gives me a better idea of their total game. Of course Paynes highlight film for example is so boring I couldn't watch any more.

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The stuff on Youtube is more or less the same thing, just make sure they're titled something like "Player X vs. Team Y 2017".

Simpleton said:

The stuff on Youtube is more or less the same thing, just make sure they're titled something like "Player X vs. Team Y 2017".

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So I'm watching the FSU Alabama game. And honestly I'm wondering the entire time why Evans is the slowest guy to react. Is that by design? The only time he moves before the other LBers is when he is clearly blitzing which they did a ton of with him and all their LBers for that matter. I mean seriously, he is the last LBer to move on every play. And frankly he kind of looks lost in coverage. Gosh there was even one play where a lineman blocked him about 15 yards down the field. This may not be the game to watch. My opinion is actually getting worse of him.

Great website for the videos we are talking about. http://draftbreakdown.com/all-videos/

Cowboysrock55 said:

So I'm watching the FSU Alabama game. And honestly I'm wondering the entire time why Evans is the slowest guy to react. Is that by design? The only time he moves before the other LBers is when he is clearly blitzing which they did a ton of with him and all their LBers for that matter. I mean seriously, he is the last LBer to move on every play. And frankly he kind of looks lost in coverage. Gosh there was even one play where a lineman blocked him about 15 yards down the field. This may not be the game to watch. My opinion is actually getting worse of him.

Great website for the videos we are talking about. http://draftbreakdown.com/all-videos/

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I haven't watched that although this was his first year as a full-time starter and I believe that was the first game of the year, that's why I watched the Clemson and Georgia games, the last two of the year to get the best feel for where he's at now.

Simpleton said:

I haven't watched that although this was his first year as a full-time starter and I believe that was the first game of the year, that's why I watched the Clemson and Georgia games, the last two of the year to get the best feel for where he's at now.

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Yeah it was just the first game that popped up. I'll go back and watch more games later. Probably go back and watch Vander Esch late in the season as well.

Watched Ridley against FSU though as well and I have to say, he is impressive to me. Even on the plays where he didn't catch balls he was flying past people and his QB basically just sucked.

Cowboysrock55 said:

Yeah it was just the first game that popped up. I'll go back and watch more games later. Probably go back and watch Vander Esch late in the season as well.

Watched Ridley against FSU though as well and I have to say, he is impressive to me. Even on the plays where he didn't catch balls he was flying past people and his QB basically just sucked.

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As far as Ridley goes, you basically know what you're getting. High floor, relatively low ceiling, likely an excellent number 2 who lacks the pure size/physicality to be an elite number 1 receiver.

Simpleton said:

As far as Ridley goes, you basically know what you're getting. High floor, relatively low ceiling, likely an excellent number 2 who lacks the pure size/physicality to be an elite number 1 receiver.

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I get that but don't guys like Antonio Brown have the same mark against them? I mean he's the best WR in football. He wins with excellent routes and really good speed (Ignoring his forty, he plays way faster). I don't know that I limit a receivers ceiling simply because he isn't 6'2" + 215 pounds. Larry Fitzgerald types are great too but I don't think you need to be that big to be a lead dog. Plus he is like 6'1", it's a whole inch shorter than Dez.