What Dallas could of had they not traded for Claiborne

Okay, I wanted to do a quick revist of the draft for Dallas to see what could they have done had they not traded for Claiborne.

1. David Decastro, plug him in day one at center or even left guard and whichever of the free agent signings put at center (Bernadeau most likely)
2. Jerel Worthy - DE from Michigan State, he's strong, quick penetrating one gap tackle who will take over Kenyon Coleman's spot on the line and give Dallas a player similiar to Cullen Jenkins.
3. Dwight Bentley - CB from U. LA-Lafayette, super quick, competitive corner who would instantly become a good nickel corner and be able to stick with fast receivers in the slot. One of most impressive corners at the Senior Bowl.
4. Jarius Wright - WR from Arkansas, very small and extremely fast. He's a gamebreaker and be exciting to watch wright and Bentley go at it in practice. He would get a shot at returner but he would make a living as a slot receiver and guy you want the ball in space to.

I keep all the remaining the picks as is...

This draft class would solidify both Dallas' offensive and defensive lines as well as giving it a very talented 3rd receiver and nickel corner who would contribute immediately. The cowboy brass said they wanted to come away with 3 starters in this class and I count 2 starters with 2 top reserves who play as much as regular starters.  Everyone one of these players were available at each one of Dallas' picks had they not pulled the trade to acquire Morris Claiborne.

Despite these players being available, I have zero faith that Jerry Jones would have made the same decisions.  He made it public that had he not traded their 2nd round pick, it would have been used on Bobby Wagner, a inside linebacker.  That logic considering you already have Sean Lee, Dan Connor and Bruce Carter (2nd round pick from 2011) tells me all I need to know about the decision making in the Dallas war room.  They are not about taking the best players available nor buy into the idea that being good at the line of scrimmage on both sides with a excellent QB is the way to a championship.

Still, it is fun and sad at the same time to speculate what should have been this weekend and sad to see why this team consistently falls short in December and not able to withstand injuries.

What should the Cowboys do if both Fletcher Cox & David Decastro are gone at 14?

The latest draft buzz suggest Cox will go in the top 10 while Decastro is gone at 11 or 12.  What does Dallas do if their top defensive and offensive line prospects are off the board.

Lets first do a recap of who should be available at 14 in this scenario.

Offensively you have Cordy Glenn, a guard/tackle prospect from Georgia and Peter Konz, center from Wisconsin.  Glenn is considered an elite guard and an above average prospect at tackle while Konz is the top center but not on the elite level.

Defensively you have your pickings of Michael Brockers, DT from LSU, Quinton Coples, DE from UNC, Courtney Upshaw and Mark Barron from Alabama.

Trading down is always an option but not here for the purposes of our discussion.  So who do you take, the offensive lineman despite addressing the line in free agency or go defense with potential, talent or need?

I argue you should select Michael Brockers, the 3-4 defensive prospect from LSU, to fill a need with tremendous potential but not yet a finished product. Defensive lineman with upside are a valued asset and don't fall far in the draft.

That statement could also suggest making a play on another defensive lineman, Coples from UNC instead of Brockers. He has the tools to get after the QB and be a 3 down lineman ideally suited for a 4-3 scheme but could be a 5 technique or even stand up in a 3-4. The main reason I look past Coples is his attitude, he's getting grouped into the knucklehead category and a red flag for character. I also downgrade him since he doesn't project to fit into Rob Ryan's 3-4 scheme.

The most common prospect associated with Dallas lately is safety Mark Barron from Alabama. I would not select a safety in the first round unless he's got playmaking skills causing turnovers. Barron played the easiest position in all of college football as safety behind the best defense in the land in the worst quarterback play conference. He was rarely ever challenged and QBs didn't have the time to throw against the Tide.

I do not even have Dontari Poe with a first round grade, shows all the signs of a workout warrior and Dallas should look elsewhere in the opening round.

Ideally I want Fletcher Cox in the first round, target Bruce Irvin, Peter Konz, Amini Silatolu, Shea McClellin in the second. A name to keep in mind for the 3rd round is Harrison Smith, safety from Notre Dame and Kelechi Osemele, guard from Iowa State, if the offensive line has not been addressed yet. You can also go wide receive in hopes of finding a replacement for Laurent Robinson in Jarius Wright, slot receiver from Arkansas.