This NFL draft class crippled the Dallas Cowboys

lostxn

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This NFL draft class crippled the Dallas Cowboys
BY MAC ENGEL
tengel@star-telegram.com
April 27, 2018 11:00 AM

When the Dallas Cowboys made their first-round pick on Thursday the indifference from the AT&T Stadium crowd could have knocked you down.

Oh ... no ... they drafted a Garrett Guy.

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett may be an expensive f-bomb-dropping puppet, but the influence Coach Process has on this team's player acquisitions remains a constant. Jason's fingerprints are all over this roster: safe, safe, safe.

We won't know if the selection of Boise State linebacker Leighton Vander Esch is worth a bleep for about two years, but he is a safe pick.

Safe is supposed to result in good. Maybe not great, but good. Until it doesn't.

If you want to know why the Cowboys find themselves in such a mediocre state, look no further than their draft from 2015, when Jerry Jones' innate desire to gamble for great combined with Jason Garrett's penchant for safe resulted in nothing.

The third year is when an NFL player should be getting it, and establishing himself as a quality player. As evidenced from the Cowboys' draft class of 2015, they missed virtually everywhere.

Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells said during his tenure as the Cowboys coach that player acquisition was a "50/50 proposition." If that's the case, what the Cowboys did in 2015 was a roster-crushing bust.

1. Byron Jones, DB, 27th pick. Scored big marks at the combine and little since then. The team has moved him from corner to safety back to corner in hopes of getting something out of him; 48 games played, and two interceptions ain't enough.

(Next pick: Lions: Laken Tomlinson, G, Duke. Three-year starter for the Lions)

2. Randy Gregory, DE, 60th pick. A top-10 talent fell into the second round because of character concerns. Jerry saw a deal and drafted Gregory. The Cowboys learned firsthand what those concerns are — he flunks drug tests. He was kicked out of the league. He last played a game in 2016, and has begun the process of applying for reinstatement.

(Next pick: Bucs: Ali Marpet, C, Hobart. Started 40 games for the Bucs)

3. Chaz Green, OT, 91st pick. He battled injury. When he was finally healthy, he stepped into to replace Tyron Smith against the Atlanta Falcons last season and nearly got quarterback Dak Prescott killed.

(Next pick: Broncos: Jeff Heuerman, TE, Ohio St. Appeared in 26 games for the Broncos with 18 receptions)

4. Damien Wilson, ILB, 127th pick. He has not done much in 48 games. The drafting of LVE means Wilson is a backup at best.
(Next pick: Raiders: Jon Feliciano, G, Miami. Appeared in 35 games for the Raiders)

5. Ryan Russell, DE, 163rd pick. He played in one game for the Cowboys in 2015 and was dumped. He played the last two years with the Bucs.

7. Mark Nzeocha, OLB, 236th pick. Appeared in seven games in '15 and '16. Played 10 games last season for the 49ers.

7. Laurence Gibson, T, 243rd pick. No NFL games.

7. Geoff Swaim, TE, 246th pick. Developing into a decent player. In 28 games, he has nine receptions and should again stick on the Cowboys' roster behind Jason Witten.

Not only did the Cowboys miss high, they missed low, too.
 

Simpleton

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Jones/Gregory/Green were the exact opposite of safe picks. You got a workout warrior with no defined position, a pothead with motivation issues, and an injury risk.

The author is a retard.
 

lostxn

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Jones/Gregory/Green were the exact opposite of safe picks. You got a workout warrior with no defined position, a pothead with motivation issues, and an injury risk.

The author is a retard.
Well the conclusions are retarded but it can't be argued that draft was a huge bust. Was McClay involved in this one?

EDIT: "McClay has overseen the club’s NFL Draft process since 2014." So, yes.
 

Simpleton

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Well the conclusions are retarded but it can't be argued that draft was a huge bust. Was McClay involved in this one?

EDIT: "McClay has overseen the club’s NFL Draft process since 2014." So, yes.
Yea he did, the Jones pick really pissed me off because they knew at the time he didn't have a true position. I would've taken Malcom Brown, although the guy I really loved was Eric Kendricks, I think I would've tried like hell to move down into the early 2nd and still snag him.

I feel like the Gregory pick was a Jones gamble but I don't mind taking gambles on a top 10 type of talent at the end of the 2nd, especially when that talent plays a position that is our number 1 need heading into a season where we had Super Bowl aspirations.
 

lostxn

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Yea he did, the Jones pick really pissed me off because they knew at the time he didn't have a true position. I would've taken Malcom Brown, although the guy I really loved was Eric Kendricks, I think I would've tried like hell to move down into the early 2nd and still snag him.

I feel like the Gregory pick was a Jones gamble but I don't mind taking gambles on a top 10 type of talent at the end of the 2nd, especially when that talent plays a position that is our number 1 need heading into a season where we had Super Bowl aspirations.
We could have taken Landon Collins.
 

Simpleton

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We could have taken Landon Collins.
Sure, or David Johnson, but I'm trying to put myself in the mindset that I had without the benefit of hindsight.

Brown was my top choice if I remember correctly and I know that I really loved Kendricks also.
 

Cotton

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Sure, or David Johnson, but I'm trying to put myself in the mindset that I had without the benefit of hindsight.

Brown was my top choice if I remember correctly and I know that I really loved Kendricks also.
Brown was my top choice there, as well. I was pissed when we took Jones with him still on the board.
 

fortsbest

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I don't know why the picks just this one though? I'd like to see how many of our drafts in the past 20 years are just like this one where we hit on 2 or less of the players selected. It's been killing this team for a few decades now.
 

Smitty

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I don't remember Jones being that hated of a pick. I don't think there was really one guy that everyone wanted that badly. Malcolm Brown and Randy Gregory were the two picks I remember being more desired; and we got Gregory anyway, and Brown hasn't been that dominant himself. I think I yawned but accepted the pick cause I thought they were moving him to safety, which they did; it's just that he hasn't been any good at safety.

I don't think Landon Collins was really on our radar at the time that much.

That being said, this draft could still end up being ok. Remember we actually got our starting RT from this draft too, with La'el Collins. If Jones thrives at CB with the new DB coach Richard, and Gregory ever gets his act together, this draft could be salvaged.
 

lostxn

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I literally can't recall at all who I was interested in drafting that year. It wasn't Byron Jones. I suspect I wanted a safety or a DE because that has been forever. But I'm not sure. I did love Gregory. Still crazy that a guy couldn't get his pot habit under control. Lesson about the stupidity of other human beings I guess.
 

p1_

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I don't know why the picks just this one though? I'd like to see how many of our drafts in the past 20 years are just like this one where we hit on 2 or less of the players selected. It's been killing this team for a few decades now.
I believe that 2009 was an equally stellar bust of a draft.
 

Smitty

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I believe that 2009 was an equally stellar bust of a draft.
2009 was infinitely worse than 2015.

We got La'el Collins out of 2015; he counts. He's a starting RT. That alone makes it way better.
 

p1_

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2009 was infinitely worse than 2015.

We got La'el Collins out of 2015; he counts. He's a starting RT. That alone makes it way better.
Getting him as a UDFA was genius. That alone covers a multitude of sins.
 

mcnuttz

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There aren't many teams who could say that the 2015 draft class really turned their team around.
 

lostxn

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2009 was infinitely worse than 2015.

We got La'el Collins out of 2015; he counts. He's a starting RT. That alone makes it way better.
Fortunately a draft 9 years ago has no bearing on the roster today.
 

ravidubey

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Yea he did, the Jones pick really pissed me off because they knew at the time he didn't have a true position. I would've taken Malcom Brown
I was posting every few seconds on this site, on Facebook, and screaming at my laptop for the Cowboys to take Brown and please not Jones, but those quick-twitch monitoring motherfuckers wanted Mr. Longjump.

When end they took him I wanted to hurl. When the Pats snapped up Brown I punched the dinner table. When I saw the dipshit Joe Fans applauding the pick intense rage built.

I have issues. Since then I vowed to become a bit more distant. I still watch, but keep perspective that we’re not going anywhere with mr Ivy League at coach no matter what our talent.

Fix the coaching and I might give a shit again.

For now I’m content to enjoy my family and cheer great Cowboy plays and wins.
 
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