Rangers trade Craig Gentry, pitcher for Oakland prospect Michael Choice and infielder

The more I look at the Rangers - Oakland trade, the more I think Texas got the better of it. I'm trying to look at the deal from the Oakland perspective and here's why they made it.

They wanted to upgrade their center field position to spell Coco Crisp. They were willing to sacrifice power for speed & defense. Gentry gives them that. Crisp had an amazing 2013 but seems like they wanted to add a quality center field to start vs lefties and not miss a beat defensively. Gentry gives them that.

Is a 30-year old fourth outfielder who wasn't projected to start regularly in the lineup worth a #2 prospect in your system who hit .302 in AAA with 14 homers earning a September call up? I think not and make no mistake pitcher Josh Lindblom did not add any substantial value to this trade. He is a depth guy who at best can be a spot starter and long man out of the pen.

Choice instantly becomes the top outfielder prospect in the organization and could even get playing time at a corner outfield spot in 2014. Honestly, the Rangers just acquired a better more polished version of Mike Olt who can already play the outfield. He has plus power, strikes out often but not as ridiculous as Joey Gallo. The team would be wise to groom Choice to be the right fielder of the future to replace Alex Rios in 2015.

The infielder Bostick does little for me, it gives the team another talented infielder who shows some pop with the bat and quality defense at multiple positions. It gives the depth in the middle part but he's not an elite prospect anywhere close to Jurickson Profar, Luis Sardinas or Rougned Odor. The best anyone could hope for from Bostick is a utility infielder at the major league level but he's got a lot of competition in the minors.

Bottom line, think the Rangers stole a plus prospect from Oakland at a position of need for a 30-year old backup player and a non-factor pitcher.

Hello win column!

What did the Rangers get in Prince Fielder?

Jon Daniels made the offseason splash Ranger fans were hoping for that never developed last season trading away Ian Kinsler for Prince Fielder this week.  Did the Rangers acquire that left-handed power bat they desperately needed or simply take on a declining player with an awful contract for the next 7 years?

Fielder is a powerful left-handed hitter who is capable of hitting 30 homers and driving in 100 plus RBIs. He ended a streak of six straight seasons of 30 plus homers in 2013 when he only hit 25. He is a remarkably durable player missing only one game in the past 5 seasons! Prince also batted clean up in Detroit providing the crucial protection for 2013 AL-MVP Miguel Cabrera in their lineup. He is likely to be given the same task in Arlington to protect Adrian Beltre batting either clean up or 5th. His left handed bat will be put in between Alex Rios and Beltre in the lineup which is a threat the Rangers haven't had since Josh Hamilton.

Did Fielder's drop in homers in 2013 highlight holes in his swing and disturbing decline in production? There have been multiple reports from scouts within MLB indicating pitchers targeted holes in his swing in 2013 especially during the postseason. There is no question Prince had a down season in 2013 but this was a consistent theme across all teams in baseball in most offensive categories. I am not that concerned about his down season and he is far better suited to play in Arlington as a left-handed power hitter. I think the change of scenary will benefit Prince here, he will not be asked to be a leader in the clubhouse and will settle right into the heart of the lineup putting 30 plus into the home run porch.

Are the Rangers taking on a ton of new money that will prevent them from targeting more players?

Actually, the finances came out to be almost a push for the Rangers when looking at the contracts involved in 2013 including a name that no one has been referencing when discussing the financial implications of the trade.

Prince Fielder cost $23 million in Detroit in 2013.  That is a ton of money and hard for Ranger fans to digest considering it was $25 million a year sent to A-Rod during the Tom Hicks era.

However the Rangers paid a combined $23 million between Ian Kinsler and Lance Berkman in 2013. The team declined to pick up the option on Berkman for 2014 releasing the team from that financial committment.  Projected starting second baseman Jurickson Profar made $491,000 in 2013 which means the Rangers will only be paying an additional $491,000 using the 2013 figures.  Profar is likely to see a slight increase in salary but he is years away from artibration as well as free agency.  I see no reason at all where this trade would prevent the Rangers from targeting any players they wish in free agency or in the trade market.

I was thrilled when the trade was announced and nothing has changed my mind analyzing the player as well as the financial implications.  Ian Kinsler frustrated me constantly with his upper cut swing and wreckless base running.  I was never impressed with him as a leadoff hitter but that is directed at Ron Washington as it is the manager's responsiblity to slot the players in the position they feel can be the most successful. I was suprised Texas could acquire a quality piece like Fielder for Kinsler coming off a sub-par season but the same could be said from the other side.

The Rangers must handle Fielder and Profar correctly to get this team back on track as a contender in 2014.

1. Prince Fielder should be the Designated Hitter, not the starting first baseman.  His defense is poor and there is nothing wrong with Moreland's glove. I was concered that GM Jon Daniels announced post trade that Fielder would play first, I hope this changes during spring training.  Ideally, you want his bat in the lineup without his glove, the DH does exactly that and makes no sense to insist having him play in the field.

2. Slot Jurickson Profar at #8 or #9 spot in the lineup, low pressure situations so the kid can focus on his development. The kid was used incorrectly in 2013 as a super utility guy and counted on to make immediate offensive production in pressure at bats. He has a quick bat and shown some plate discipline but really struggled down the stretch seeing the ball.

Texas Rangers Offseason Plan

Last year, the Rangers were in on every top free agent (Zach Greinke) and potential trade scenarios, remember Justin Upton?

This year, the Rangers are again rumored to be in the mix for several top free agents, Robinson Cano seriously?

As the MLB playoffs move into the Championship Series, I say its time to dive into what the Rangers should do this offseason to get back into a contender.

First, I want to make it clear that I think the Rangers over achieved this year as I had this finishing 3rd in the AL West behind the Angels & Oakland with Texas missing the playoffs.  I was simply not impressed with the Rangers offense built around Nelson Cruz & Lance Berkman.

With that said, let us begin.

By my count, the Rangers have between $25 - $30 million to play with in free agency.  That puts any free agent in the discussion but do you want one mega high profile player or 3-5 mid-level players?

I argue what did Texas in last year was a poor bench (sound familiar?) and an offense that could not hit or get on base especially in the 5-7 spots on the lineup.

The poor bench has been a constant miss under Jon Daniel's watch, this can and must be addressed as Ron Washington will drive his veterans into the ground without a quality bench.

The Rangers already have 2 quality bench players who have proven to hit and be solid versus left handed pitching in Jeff Baker & Craig Gentry.  Baker would need to be resigned.

They need a bat who can hit right handed pitching who can be very affordable while also able to play multiple positions.  I insert Michael Morse here, had a disasterous 2013 with the Mariners after being traded in the offseason from the Nationals.  But he's a career. 280 hitter against righties and. 284 versus lefties. I suggest he will come cheap after such a poor season last year but the guy has a track record for hitting well, can play in the outfield and first base.

Next up is what to do about the catching position.  The Rangers dream would be to get Brian McCann from Atlanta but even if the Braves somehow let him leave, he's a top target across the league and will be able to tell teams what it will take to sign him, sources suggest he will get 90 million over 5 years.  I like McCann the ballplayer but absolutely not worth that type of money.  I move on to my next target.

Introduce Carlos Ruiz from the Phillies.

I have always been a fan of National League catchers, their attention seems to be more on working with pitchers and getting on base anyway they can.  Ruiz has done that for years after being a late bloomer averaging a. 294 BA over the past 4 years that includes a sub-par year in 2013 hitting just. 268.  His price will be below market value with his 25 game suspension this year after posting career numbers in home runs in 2012.  The question will hang over him that if he saw that increase in production naturally or with help?  That should keep Ruiz's price down and willing to take a shorter contract so he can prove he's clean and deserves big money.  I offer Ruiz a 2-year $15 million contract.

I mentioned Lance Berkman earlier and the DH position again needs to be addressed after Berkman will retire and open up the position.  Daniels should fill this void with someone they are extremely knowledgeable about, Kendry Morales from the Mariners.  He's played most of his career in the division moving over from the Angels a year ago.  He was easily the Mariners best hitter, he hit for average and power which is hard to do playing in Seattle.  He earned around $5 million last year and think he does deserve a slight raise in the $7 million range but not excessive considering he offers zero flexibility in the lineup, strictly a DH.

Here's where we stand thus far, 3 players for $16 million total allocating $2M to Morse, $7M to Ruiz and $7M to Morales.  That leaves $20 million left to address my remaining spots, first base and starting rotation.

I want to add depth to my starting rotation in the event someone gets hurt or I need that 5th starter to be an impact starter like last year. I look into someone who's been on the teams radar for years, coming off a subpar season but has track record of pitching well in the AL and willing to take a short term deal to prove he can still get it done.

Josh Johnson from the Blue Jays is that guy.  The Rangers have been involved in trade talks for Johnson for years dating back to when he was with Miami as well as last year at the deadline.  He made $13 million last year but I suggest that salary comes way down after posting career worst ERA, home run to fly ball ratio dating back to 2007.  Johnson will obviously want a multi-year deal but will have to earn it taking a one-year deal after such a poor year, Texas should jump on that.  I offer him a one-year $6.5 million contract.

Finally, first base has been a joke for the Rangers the past several seasons and the worst part is watching previous Rangers have excellent seasons with other clubs, Adrian Gonzales with the Dodgers & Chris Davis in Baltimore to mention a few.

I feel the Rangers need to add some power to that first base position with a right handed bat and upgrade my left handed hitter to play the corner outfield spots.  Jose Abreau is a Cuban defector who thanks to a few loopholes is eligible for total unrestricted free agency into the Major Leagues as a 26 year old rookie.  Recent other Cubans have transitioned well to the Majors after limited time in the minors like Leonys Martin or even no time at all like Yoenis Cespedes in Oakland.  Abreau is a big strong power right handed hitter at the first base position, pure and simple.  Sources confirm Texas is one of 6 teams heavily involved in acquiring Abreau once free agency opens a week after the World Series.

The best part of this deal is I don't cut, trade or send down Mitch Moreland, he becomes my left handed bat who can hit right handed pitching and play the outfield corner spots.  It may not be the drastic upgrade people were expecting over David Murphy but Jurickson Profar is still in my plans to be an every day corner outfielder.

Finally, what do the Rangers do about Nelson Cruz?  Local media reports the Rangers are unsure if they will make a qualifying offer to Cruz which amounts to $14 million dollars. I say yes they should without a doubt, get the draft pick in return if he signs elsewhere and if he does sign it, I'm fine with his bat and he can play left field for my team.  If Cruz does not sign the offer, I make zero effort to resign him and turn my attention to Carlos Beltran who has quietly put together an excellent career and not slowed down still hitting for power and average consistently.

Here's the lineup I give to Ron Washington with these deals.

Lineup
Kinsler
Andrus
Cruz/Beltran
Beltre
Morales
Rios
Ruiz
Abreau
Martin

My goal was to upgrade the 5-7 spots, Morales, Rios and Ruiz gives me 3 hitters all of whom would of hit in the top 4 a year ago.  Second, I wanted to add quality to my bench, this gives me Soto, Moreland, Baker, Morse & Gentry.   Mission accomplished?

BYU's Kyle Van Noy

Just watched several games of BYU's Kyle Van Noy. Disappointed honestly as I was expecting a beast capable of taking over a game. I saw that especially vs the Longhorns but other games, I saw a guy who would make about 2-3 plays a game but wildly inconsistent with a real average motor. But when he wants to be, he is as good as Von Miller.

Cannot hold vs the run and will not be a DE in the NFL. Going to have to stay at OLB in a 34 scheme. If he puts together a strong finish to the year, can easily see him being a top 10 pick but with major red flags.

Two biggest red flags when he comes to defenders, average motor and inconsistent tackler. I would attach those labels to him at this point.

Texans comeback to win over Chargers

Best thing to do when you are home sick after you slept most of the day.  Watch game film of the Texans game.

Texans game: This game started off just like the Cowboys game, Matt Schaub's first pass was picked off at their own 15 which resulted in a Chargers touchdown on the next play. The two went back and forth the rest of the first half but the Chargers managing to get out to a 21-7 lead at the half. The interesting fact to me was Houston not going to their playaction nearly as much in the first half despite running the ball effectively averaging 4.4 yards a carry, 15 rushes for 66 yards. They ran only one playaction passes hitting Owen daniels for 18 mid-way through the 1st quarter. This is a staple of their offense but thats what can happen when you trail double digits at half-time.

The Texans might have finally found their capable No.2 receiver to go along with Andre Johnson hitting on DeAndre Hopkins in the draft from Clemson, he was open often and made play after play which drew coverage off Johnson who hauled double digit catches on the night.

The Chargers were rolling to start the second half taking the opening drive 80 yards in 8 plays thanks to a monster playaction pass to Malcolm Floyd for 47 yards on the first play. They scored on a quick pass to Eddie Royal from the one yardline to take a 28-7 lead at the 10:46 mark of the third quarter.

You might think down by 3 touchdowns Head Coach Gary Kubiak would go no huddle, stay in shotgun passing every play to try and get back into the game. However that did not happen, the Texans responded with a 12 play drive going 70 yards holding the ball for over 5 minutes scoring on a touchdown pass to Garrett Graham. They still continued to run the ball 4 times on the drive to keep the Chargers pass rush from going all out for Schaub which was crucial considering how bad a game LT Duane Brown had.

Then everything changed...

The Chargers lead by 2 touchdowns with 4:45 left in the 3rd quarter, the Texans defense having trouble to stop the Chargers most of the night through the air and on the ground needed a stop. You would think a team with a 2 possession lead would want to work the clock a little as well to give their defense a break after giving up the score and protect the lead.  Instead the Chargers run the ball a total of 4 times for a grant total of 2 yards from the moment they lead in the game 28-7 to the moment they lost it.

San Diego acted like they were the team trailing by 14 in the second half, throwing the ball all over the place without success. The Texans D had to start blitz to force the issue and Rivers never made them pay for it.

Even with that said, a few things had to fall the Texans way to complete the comeback.

It is 3rd down and 8 with 14:55 left to go in the 4th quarter, Houston trails 28-14 but has driven the ball down to the Chargers 19. Schaub has a pass fall incomplete resulting in a field goal attempt to cut the lead down to 11. However a stupid personal foul penalty by the Chargers gives the Texans a new set of downs inside the 10 with a chance to make it a one possession game. Schaub waste no time finding Owen Daniels for the score turning what should have been a two possession game into a single score differential with 14:44 remaining to be played.

Fast forward to the 9:38 mark of the 4th quarter for the play of the game.  The Chargers take possession at their own 13 leading by 7. They had tried to run the ball twice on the previous possession only to gain a single yard in 2 attempts thanks to JJ Watt doing what he does to blow up running plays. The Chargers decide to put the ball in the air, Whitney Mercilus goes unblocked to rush the throw by Rivers into the flat where recently made rich Brian Cushing hauls in the interception, gets up and rumbles in for the tying score.

The Texans drove down the field from their own 39 thanks to three clutch receptions from Andre Johnson for 23 yards, and the inevitable game winning field goal as time expired.

Cowboys win over Giants - Initial Observations

Best thing to do when you are home sick after you slept most of the day.  Watch game film of the Cowboys game.

I will have my report up on both games this evening but initial observations were very simple.

Cowboys game: The offensive line exceeded expectations for how well they protected Romo especially Doug Free.  He was on an island most of the night and held his own  earning a positive grade from Pro Football Focus.  Ron Leary was darn near perfect at left guard in pass protection, needs work to finish his blocks in the running game but was very impressed with the guy. Top it off with someone we are completely taking for granted is Travis Frederick, he was solid in all areas, solidified the interior of the line but not dominant in either pass or run assignments.

What else can you really say about the defense, they got turnovers in practice in oxnard, they got them in the preseason and it has carried over into the regular season through one game. Cowboys color analyst Babe Laufenberg said just prior to the game, they practiced better this year than in previous years and it gives them a chance to be a real good football team. It sounded like a general statement that every broadcaster would echo but Babe has been on record in years past criticizing their practices especially under Switzer and Wade Phillips. It seems simple but if you practice well, it gives you as good a chance as any that you will play well when it counts. Morris Claiborne had a poor night in coverage giving way too much cushion and just was slow to react with his reads in this zone coverage. This shouldn't be suprising considering he hadn't played the entire preseason or most of camp, still think its overrated when young players are held out of camp & preseason?  A veteran with multiple years of starting experience can be given the benefit but not a second year player like Claiborne playing in a new scheme.  The defensive line was extremely impressive stopping the run and forcing pressure although predictably it slowed down in the second half, having depth can help you stay fresh on the lines Jerry. It is vital Anthony Spencer returns so George Selvie can become the versatile rusher attacking from either end spot.

Bye Bye Manny Diaz

As expected, the Texas Longhorns fired Manny Diaz today. Also as expected, former defensive coordinator Greg Robinson has been named his replacement effective immediately.

I also hope to see a few more changes, I want Quandre Diggs moved to the starting safety in place of Adrian Phillips. Steve Edmond replaced by Kelvin Stantos in the base scheme.

Finally, I want Jalen Overstreet to be the starter in the wildcat formation. I want the kid to be given every opportunity to see more playing time. I'm done with Ash & McCoy.

Sean Lee gets a contract extension

Here is the breakdown of the Sean Lee contract extension year by year.

Year  Base Salary Signing Bonus     Cap Hit

2013 630k      2.3 Million       2.9 Million

2014 5.5 Million  2.0 Million       7.5 Million

* Incentive: 1.5 Million if 80% of games played in previous year

2015 2.5 Million  2.0 Million       4.5 Million

* Incentive: 1.5 Million if 80% of games played in previous year

2016 3.0 Million  2.0 Million       5.0 Million

* Incentive: 1.5 Million if 80% of games played in previous year

2017 7.0 Million  2.0 Million       9.0 Million

* Incentive: 1.5 Million if 80% of games played in previous year

2018 7.0 Million  None           7.0 Million

* Incentive: 1.5 Million if 80% of games played in previous year

2019 7.0 Million  None           7.0 Million

* Incentive: 1.5 Million if 80% of games played in previous year

He gets $32 Million In Base Salary with 10.3 in Signing Bonus with playing incentives totaling 9.0 Million.

This is about as fair a deal for both parties as I've seen from a young strong leader player. The Cowboys rewarded him paying him on par with other strong linebackers in the league like Pat Willis, Navorro Bowman in San Francisco. Heads up to Brian Cushing fans in Houston, his leverage just went up as rookie deal expires after this season. But the playing incentives help protect the team from the injury concerns that still hang over Lee.

Rangers tied for first in division, how the hell did that happen?

The Rangers are tied for first with the Oakland As on August 10th.

It is simply remarkable that this team without Lance Berkman and Nelson Cruz is actually generating more offense without them than they had been with them.

Jon Daniels traded for Matt Garza giving up Mike Olt, CJ Edwards, Justin Grimm and a player to be named at a later date.

I stated previously that this team was perfectly positioned to either be sellers or able to acquire basically anyone they wanted at the deadline.  I also pointed out the team should use those resources to acquire pitching and more pitching.

I am extremely thrilled about this Ranger team heading into the playoff push. The team is deep and playing well together.

How are they doing it?

Well as I said before, pitching and more pitching. They have only given up more than 4 runs once in their last 9 games.

Yu Darvish has given up 4 runs total in his last four starts with the team losing only one of those games that was July 27th when the team lost 1-0 to the Indians.

Derek Holland has thrown at least 7 innings in four of his last five starts while giving up no more than 3 runs. What is more impressive about that stretch is the fact Holland did all that against teams with winning records (Oakland, New York, Baltimore and Detroit).

The Rangers have won 3 of the 4 games newly acquired Matt Garza has started however he has given up 3 more runs in his three starts. But I like that Garza eats innings tossing at least 7 innings during his brief time in Arlington.

Rookie Martin Perez has been impressive winning back to back starts against the Angels tossing over 13 innings giving up just 3 runs. Perez has gotten his strikeouts up since last season while reducing his walks to go along with his advanced mental toughness to pitch out of trouble.

I would not be concerned about that rotation going up against anyone in the AL playoffs and that doesn't even include a bullpen that is lights out. Thank you to Neil Cotts who has been absolutely dominating not just against the lefties but all hitters period. Factor in Tanner Scheppers who has settled into the set up role and not fazed him as a 26 year old rookie. I worry about the workload Joe Nathan continues to be on but that is where Joakim Soria comes in and outside of one awful outing against the Angels, he's been good as well.

Pitching is the key and this team is set up nicely for a playoff push to follow the formula set by the recent world champion Giants. The wild cards in this could be September returns of Matt Harrison and Neftali Feliz but this team doesn't NEED them to, it would simply be a bonus.

While pitching is the key, any little league kid can realize you have to score some runs to beat the other team. This offense slowed and then darn near stopped in late July. But this offense has suddenly found it

They have scored an average of 6.5 runs per game in August with at least 5 runs a game since Cruz was suspended.

Where has this offense come from?

A change at the top of the lineup.  The worst leadoff hitter in baseball, Ian Kinsler moved to the 3 spot in the lineup on July 29th. Since then, the Rangers offense scored more than 3 runs in all but 2 of those games, 9 of 11.

Leonys Martin has moved nicely into that leadoff spot but isn't killing the ball hitting only .283 in his last 10. However he has hit safely in 8 of those games. The difference has been Elvis Andrus, he's hitting .366 since July 30th and reached base safely in 9 of his last 10.  Both are capable of being a terror on the basepaths and not a liability like Kinsler who's been thrown out 7 out of 15 attempts.

The lineup could use some help and hopefully Alex Rios can provide some of that or Lance Berkman can return to the lineup but right now, they are playing great baseball and don't NEED them.

Rangers as potential sleepers?

The Rangers are as well positioned as a team could be, money to spend, deep farm system including top prospect in baseball and quality veteran players on expiring contracts.

This team does not have the playoff rotation nor a lineup with the ability to generate offense especially through quality at bats.

I disagree the Rangers should try to acquire a big time bat at the deadline to help the struggling lineup, the SF Giants have won 2 world championships with a below average lineup but stellar defense and even better pitching.  Thats the direction the Rangers need to go.

If you are going to trade quality pieces like a Jurickson Profar, Mike Olt, Joey Gallo or Martin Perez, do it a quality piece at the most important position, bottom line, pitching and more pitching.

What good would a top bat like a Giancarlos Stanton do when the Rangers are trailing 5-0 after four innings?  The team is trying to survive with 3 rookies in the rotation for a significant portion of the season with little help on the horizon until August and thats if all goes well.  Don't get me wrong, I am not opposed to acquiring a bat like Stanton but not if the pieces to do it prevent me from getting a top quality pitcher like David Price or Cliff lee.

I would much rather try to acquire David Price, negotiate a long-term contract and give up any prospect not named Profar to make it happen.  He has become un-tradable in my eyes, a key piece for this team going forward.

My plan is do anything possible to acquire a top starting pitcher to go along with Darvish, Holland & Harrison and feel good about any match up regular season or post season for the next few years.  A starting rotation like that makes the Rangers a contender every year and an offense less dependant on the long ball to generate offense.

If the Rangers are more than 5 games out at the deadline, I instantly become sellers and move on from veterans like AJ Pierzynski, Lance Berkman, David Murphy, Nelson Cruz & Joe Nathan.  With the exception of Berkman & Murphy, all others should be able to command quality prospects and possibly a top prospect for Cruz.

Speaking of Nelson Cruz, I am done with him as a right fielder, his consistent inability to take proper angles on a ball is just inexcusable. I like the threat of his bat but he's going to get paid like a big time power hitting outfielder which puts him out of my price range. The Rangers aren't shy of spending money but as long as its on the right player. Cruz is a left fielder #5 bat on my team who does not deserve a 5-year $80 contract in my eyes.

The best way to prepare for that departure is trade him now for a piece that can be my right fielder, designated hitter, catcher and fill out the rotation. 

Cowboys board gets leaked and so?

So the Cowboys board got released, it doesn't matter as much with the draft over with.  It would be devastating had the results been released prior to the draft on the other hand.

What it does do is allow us to follow who the Cowboys could or argue should of had had they really stuck to their own stated philosophy of having a pure draft.  Simply focus on the offensive/defensive lines and get the best player available at those positions.

Using their own board as a starting board.  I will do 2 versions of this, one with the trade made with the Vikings and the other without any trade at all.  If I choose to take a different player than the one Dallas selected then that player is removed completely as impossible to accurately know when they would have gone had Dallas not taken them.

Version I (No Trade)

1st pick - Sharrif Floyd

Second Round pick - Margus Hunt, DE, SMU
 * I would of chosen Sylvester Williams from UNC whom the Cowboys had 4 slots lower than Hunt. I had a fourth round grade on Hunt.

Third Round pick - Jordan Hill, DT from Penn State
* Since I already picked 2 defensive tackles in the draft, I would select the next highest lineman which is UCLA's Datone Jones whom they had 4 slots later.

Fourth Round Pick - Corey Lemonier, DE, Auburn
* This makes 4 defensive lineman drafted.  The highest available offensive lineman would of been Earl Watford, a guard from James Madison.

Fifth Round pick - Brandon Jenkins, DE
* I pass on Jenkins since already selected 4 defensive lineman, the next highest offensive lineman is tackle Ricky Wagner from Wisconsin.

Sixth Round pick - Mike Buchanon, DE from Illinois
* I pass on Buchanon since already picked 4 d lineman therefore the highest rated o-lineman is Reid Fragel, an offensive tackle.
Version II (with trade)

1st pick - Travis Frederick

Second Round pick - Margus Hunt, DE, SMU
 * I would of chosen Sylvester Williams from UNC whom the Cowboys had 4 slots lower than Hunt. I had a fourth round grade on Hunt.

Third Round pick - Jordan Hill, DT from Penn State
* Since I already picked 2 defensive tackles in the draft, I would select the next highest lineman which is UCLA's Datone Jones whom they had 4 slots later.

 (Second) Third Round pick - Everett Dawkins, DT from Florida State
* Since I already picked 2 defensive tackles in the draft. The next highest offensive lineman is USC Khaled Holmes, also a center. The next highest rated defensive end is Damontre Moore from Texas A&M. The cowboys had a late 3rd round grade on Moore but a early 4th round grade on Holmes.

Fourth Round Pick - Corey Lemonier, DE, Auburn
* This makes 4 defensive lineman drafted.  The highest available offensive lineman would of been Earl Watford, a guard from James Madison.

Fifth Round pick - Brandon Jenkins, DE
* I pass on Jenkins since already selected 4 defensive lineman, the next highest offensive lineman is tackle Ricky Wagner from Wisconsin.

Sixth Round pick - Mike Buchanon, DE from Illinois
* I pass on Buchanon since already picked 4 d lineman therefore the highest rated o-lineman is Reid Fragel, an offensive tackle.

 What does this mean? 

First of all, it confirms one thing we already knew.  The cowboys were complete idiots for trading off 18 with Floyd available.

Second, it confirms something we knew prior to the draft, it was rich in defensive lineman. Every pick except for the trade down in the first round had a defensive lineman as the highest rated lineman available. But thanks to our insane general manager, we took advantage of this defensive lineman rich draft by selecting zero!  Our defensive line is a strength according to Jerry because DeMarcus Ware is there (wrong side of 30 coming of another injury riddled year), Jason Hatcher (wrong side of 30 in last year of contract), Jay Ratliff (wrong side of 30, declining production and DUI pending) and Anthony Spencer (29 and in last year of contract).

Third, the Cowboys did not like the depth of offensive lineman in this draft. They did a good job of not reaching for any offensive lineman, Frederick was the highest rated lineman regardless of offensive/defensive after the trade down to 31. Wish we thought like the most successful teams do in the league, Baltimore took 5 lineman & the 49ers who picked 4 in the draft.

It confirms this organization run by Jerry Jones simply just does not get it. It's important to keep these type of things in mind during the offseason when we drink the Cowboys koolaid and think this team will actually be a serious contender.

The shame is we will look back at this core in the near future and think they were talented enough to be contenders but the failure of the organization not knowing how to manage the cap or build a team kept them from coming close to getting a 6th Superbowl in Dallas.

Did Jerry Have A Plan On Draft Day?

When Dallas traded down from #18 to eventually pick Travis Frederick at #31, my initial reaction was furious because could of had an elite grade player in Shariff Floyd. Two things can happen to change that feeling.

One: Shariff Floyd can turn into a bust, his short arms, inconsistent motor and lack of production can translate into a inconsistent player that fails to flip the switch and turn into a excellent player for the Vikings.

Two: The player Dallas acquired in the trade, Terrence Williams from Baylor can turn into a solid starting receiver to go along with Dez Bryant and away we go.

It should be noted that whether or not Travis Frederick works out has no change in how I felt about the trade. If Frederick doesn't work out it will only make me more upset about how the draft turned out. You have to get extra value in the trade otherwise you should have just kept your ass where you were.

So, the extra value in that trade is Williams, a 6-2 & 205 pound receiver from the spread offensive at Baylor. Here's an idea of what this kid can do well, as the draft goes along, you reach a point usually in the 3rd round where you look for things the player can do well instead of worrying about what they can't do with 1st or 2nd round picks. I agree with comments made by Bob Sturm..."Williams is an exceptional route runner who gets out of his breaks and is where he is supposed to be.  He has strong body control and also uses his frame to gain position on inside routes with ease at the college level.  He is fantastic against the sideline and catches those balls over his shoulder like a natural.  He also runs the post routes with the type of speed that will crush safeties that bite on a run-fake." DallasCowboys.com writer Bryan Broaddus mentioned Williams' sideline awareness as well as a huge positive during his time at Baylor and seen it during the OTAs.

Now what comes next is things he doesn't well, limited route experience, body catcher and showed on multiple instances to take eye off the ball looking for the safety when running across the middle.  I disagree with Sturm that Williams gets out of his breaks with ease, I saw a player who is slow out of the breaks and really has to power down when changing direction. This was confirmed by his combine results that test for that, the 3-cone drill and 20-yard shuttle. Williams did not finish in the top 10 of all receivers on either test and he was considerably slower than other top receivers in the NFL with similar size coming out of college, AJ Green, Julio Jones & Demaryius Thomas.  You cannot be a big receiver who is slow out of his breaks and a body catcher, if you cannot generate separation you have to have amazing hands to attack the ball for your quarterback and not drop it in tight quarters.

One last thing is Williams did not face hardly any press coverage in college which isn't his fault but always hurts young receivers transition into the NFL making an immediate impact. Usually the rookie receivers who do make instant impacts come out of the slot since they don't have to deal with a corner right on their nose at the snap.

But remember, a 6-2 receiver with good frame and excellent downfield speed who runs good routes, just needs to expand on routes he's familiar with and learn to become a more consistent hand catcher. The point is he needs time and one of the few situations where the cowboys have the luxury of time at receiver.

Look at the wide receiver position for Dallas in 2013, Dez Bryant as your lead without question, Miles Austin as the #2 and when Austin gets hurt (not if but when) you can feel confident about Dwayne Harris being able to make plays on the outside or in the slot. Next up is Cole Beasley that everyone around here wants to see get more chances out of the slot. Factor in redshirt rookie Danny Coale can have a chance to show Garrett what he did for years at Virginia Tech. That is 4 receivers who we know can play on Sundays.  Many were puzzled when Dallas picked Terrence Williams with a premium 3rd round pick and I think they do have a plan for Williams as well as the time to let him learn what has taken Dez two years to do.

The plan is simple, Terrence Williams is the replacement for Miles Austin after the 2014 season.

I've been frustrated by Miles Austin's constant hamstring and overall injury problems, factor in the drops that hurt him in 2012 and emergence of Dez last season, I'm ready to plan for his departure.

The cowboys salary cap mess caused them to restructure Miles Austin's deal which complicates the plan slightly. Here is his cap hit figures for the last remaining years on his contract.

2013     $3,588,400
2014     $8,248,400    
2015     $9,636,400    
2016     $12,558,400

I suggest the plan is to release Austin after the 2014 season, saving Dallas $1.7 million in cap space paying an approx $5.1 cap penalty.

This starts a two year clock for Terrence Williams to learn how to be a NFL receiver and take over for Miles Austin.  The problem is we have 2 years left of Miles Austin's hamstrings, drops and frustrating play to deal with.

Oh and just incase you forgot Jerry, Dez Bryant's contract runs out after that 2014 season and you are going to need that money to pay that man.

It's good to have a plan in place, that is the GM's responsibility, now its on the coach & player to execute it.

Cowboys 2013 NFL Re-Draft

I'm working on re-drafting the 2013 Draft for the Cowboys.  I did the same thing last year with the highly controversial trade for Morris Claiborne.  You can read that article here for those interested.

With this post I operate under two rules, if I choose a different player than the one the Cowboys picked, that player is then removed off the board or I can elect to keep the Cowboys selection.  This is because we cannot assume that player would be there in the next round, we can only go by what did happen.

Next is I will do two versions, one with the Cowboys trade down to 31 with the extra 3rd pick and the other without any trades at all.  No additional trades are made since they did not occur on draft day.

Rules set, lets go...

Re-Draft #1 with no trade down.

1st - Sharrif Floyd, DT from Florida - Will not pass up a 3-technique pass rushing tackle who never thought would fall out of top 10. No brainer

2nd - Larry Warford, OG from Kentucky - A phone booth physical interior guard who profiles as a mauling run blocking guard in a angle blocking scheme. Day 1 starter at RG allowing team to move Bernadeau to center thereby upgrading two positions with one pick.

3rd - Jordan Hill, DT from Penn State - He can step in to the one-technique nose tackle spot for Dallas, a spot they currently have zero guys capable of doing that job on the D-Line. He isn't as tall as would like and not as quick as you might want but watch the film of Hill and you would want him on your team. Exactly the type of person that falls through the cracks but gets better as a pro not having the ideal measurables to go higher in the draft.

4th - Phillip Thomas, FS from Fresno State - An absolute playmaker at the safety position and excellent in coverage.  He would be the ideal free safety teamed up with Barry Church as a step in starter.  The cowboys wanted 3 immediate starters from this draft and I count 3, maybe even 4 if both d-lineman squeeze into the lineup with Ratliff's off the field concerns. Thomas got 8 picks, took 3 for scores, 84 total tackles with 12 behind the line and forced 4 fumbles for good measure.

I keep the other 2 picks as is, felt that Dallas getting Joseph Randle in the 5th round was a tremendous steal!  The final pick of Thurmond is exactly what you want at that spot, depth at a position lacking it and an athletic special teams player.

This draft would accomplish goal of upgrading offensive line with Warford's addition as well as moving Bernadeau to center, yes I know still have a hole at RT but I cut Doug Free and sign either Eric Winston or Tyson Clabo to a one-year deal only.  In addition, I add talent and depth to my defensive line that is aging quickly and not under contract past this year. It is also a rich defensive tackle draft which is rare to see and always good to get your hand in.  Finally I score with a playmaker at safety, something haven't seen in years, Thomas' tackling isn't as good as I want but the playmaking skill is top notch.

Re-Draft #2 with the trade down.

1st Round - Travis Frederick, C from Wisconsin - This draft had only 16-18 first round talent prospects and picking in this spot made reaching for a guy a almost impossibility. The highest rated player on my board was safety John Cyprien, I would not pick a safety in first round unless can do 3 or 4 of the four traits needed of a safety. Cyprien could only do 2 although does it very well.  I need complete players if in the first round at that position.

2nd - Larry Warford, OG from Kentucky - A phone booth physical interior guard who profiles as a mauling run blocking guard in a angle blocking scheme. Day 1 starter at RG allowing team to move Bernadeau to center thereby upgrading two positions with one pick.

3rd - Keenan Allen, WR from Cal - Easily the highest rated player on the board, a late 1st round talent who performed poorly in workouts. I am not looking for someone to be a #1 receiver, I have that in Dez. What I need is someone who can line up on the outside and be just as physical with defenders and run excellent routes. I have several slot receiver types in Dallas, I need someone who will not get pressed at the line, run good routes and go get the ball. Yes, he did not run that fast but running the routes like he does, that is what gets the separation from corners. The worst thing a receiver can be is not get off the press, run bad routes and be slow out of your breaks.

3rd - Jordan Hill, DT from Penn State - He can step in to the one-technique nose tackle spot for Dallas, a spot they currently have zero guys capable of doing that job on the D-Line. He isn't as tall as would like and not as quick as you might want but watch the film of Hill and you would want him on your team. Exactly the type of person that falls through the cracks but gets better as a pro not having the ideal measurables to go higher in the draft.

4th - Phillip Thomas, FS from Fresno State - An absolute playmaker at the safety position and excellent in coverage.  He would be the ideal free safety teamed up with Barry Church as a step in starter.  The cowboys wanted 3 immediate starters from this draft and I count 3, maybe even 4 if both d-lineman squeeze into the lineup with Ratliff's off the field concerns. Thomas got 8 picks, took 3 for scores, 84 total tackles with 12 behind the line and forced 4 fumbles for good measure.

I keep the other 2 picks as is, felt that Dallas getting Joseph Randle in the 5th round was a tremendous steal!  The final pick of Thurmond is exactly what you want at that spot, depth at a position lacking it and an athletic special teams player.

So with the trade down, the bottom line is Dallas also traded down to get a less quality type of player. The arguement is well you can get extra players by trading down which is true but are you getting good players or just a guy?  If you can hit on the trade down and still get value then it works.  The problem is Dallas rarely gets the value on the backend of the deal.

With only 16-18 first round prospects, they had to reach for a offensive lineman but I come away from the draft upgrading the O-Line still needing to change the RT but have to start somewhere. Then address the defensive line by selecting Hill to give me the one-technique lineman. The steal is Allen from Cal in the 3rd round. I want Miles Austin off the roster as I'm done with his injuries, drops and inability to make consistent plays on the outside. This selection allows me cut Austin next year and slowly remove so many of these bad contracts and get out of cap hell.

Jerry says got value...

Travis Frederick was ranked 87, taken pick #31.  Thats a loss of 56 slots meaning took the guy almost 2 rounds ahead of where he was ranked.

Gavin Escobar, ranked # 84.  Taken at 47 representating another loss of 37.  A full round ahead of where thought he should go.

Terrence Williams ranked #93, taken at 74, loss of 19 slots so again almost a full round ahead.

Then finally with their last pick in 3rd round, take JJ Wilcox at pick # 80 who was ranked #51. They got their only gain pick of 29 slots so getting him a round later than expected.

Jerry Jones  says the team had Frederick, Escobar & Williams all rated in their 20s overall on the board. He believes received tremendous value, I disagree.  He did not receive great value, he reached consistently throughout the draft ignoring value at need positions like DL.

If he really wanted value, he should of stayed at 18, taken the tight end Tyler Eifert from Notre Dame and still gotten your center Frederick in the second round. I firmly believe he would of been there and presented far better value!

Question for you

Question...How many games did we lose last year because we didn't have a receiving threat at backup tight end?

Another question...How many games did we lose last year because we didn't have a non-quick out of his breaks big receiver who can't get off press coverage with occassional drops  not be able to contribute as the Number 4 receiver?

How many games did we lose because we have a very inexperienced but extremely athletic raw safety with only one year of starting experience who is unlikely to jump right in at start at NFL level in year one?

How many games did we lose because we had a non dominating physical open up rushing lanes interior offensive line for DeMarco Murray?

Then why the hell did we draft 4 guys who wouldnt have changed our record from last year one bit!!!

Sorry guys, be honest about your team.

Best Available and Cowboys Targets in Round II

So Dallas has Travis Frederick in the mix and already handed a starting job.  They want 3 legit immediate starters  from this draft and so they have 3 picks to play with to find 2 starters.

The top 5 best players available is
LB Manti Teo
SS Jonathan Cyprien
TE Zach Ertz
RB Montee Ball
LB Kevin Minter

I would love to have Cyprien in Dallas as he was just miss first round prospect and fits into Kiffin's aggressive safety approach.  He played super close to the scrimmage in school, has level of competition question marks as well as whether or not he is a liability vs play action and pump fakes using his aggressiveness against him. However if he is not there, there are a lot of safeties in the 3rd round area who will be just a small step below Vaccarro and Cyprien and be instant starters in Dallas. I want either JJ Wilcox or Phillip Thomas in round 3.

I am not drafting any inside linebackers until the 6th round, need depth there but i gotta find starters.

There will be some solid defensive lineman when Cowboys come up but obviously none on the level of Richardson, Star and Floyd.

There is one offensive tackle who is projected to go in the 40s although I am not a fan of his.  Florida st tackle Menelik Watson  who if you look at frame,, strength and athleticism would say this is a top NFL tackle but you don't see a guy you would be happy with on an island vs a pro pass rusher. He is a project and maybe two seasons away before can make starting contribution  to a team.

There are some interior offensive lineman, Kentucky's Larry Warford as a power run blocker in a angle scheme  is the top rated guy. However Cowboys apparently are not high on Warford for whatever reason.

The good defensive lineman at the 1-technique are John Jenkins from Georgia, massive run stuffer although not as strong as his size suggest. Johnathan Hankins is the most talented tackle available and has equally high bust factor as he is very inconsistent in 2012. Kawann Short from Purdue is good player, lil older than most rookies will be but solid, not great. Issue with short is he doesn't ideally profile to 3-technique or the 1.

There are also some good defensive ends who can strongside ends in a 43 scheme. Tank Carradine from Florida St will be there along with SMU's Margus Hunt. However I am not a fan of Hunt, workout warrior and a huge project. Carradine brings injury concerns as he tore an ACL late in the year but seems to be recovering well. There is a weakside speed rusher there from Auburn, Corey Lemonier, however he is a speed rusher only  and not good holding vs the run as well he would back up Ware, need starters today.

The 47th best player on my board is Sio Moore, OLB from Uconn, absolute beast playing in their 3-4 defense on the strongside. He played man coverage well, strong enough to hold at point vs run and brings a pass rushing threat from the edge  and he has a ton of speed. I dont like the idea of taking another LB with a 2nd round pick but he's a real physical player who is super fast. I want speed and pressure on defense, covers up for mistakes and should cause some turnovers.

Cowboys or Jerry got schooled in trade with 49ers

According to trade value chart.  The cowboys gave up the 18th overall pick worth 900 points.  Moving down to pick 31 earned them 600 points therefore need something else to make up the 300 points.  That equals a middle second round pick.  However they settled for the 74th overall pick in the 3rd round worth only 220 points.

This means the Cowboys got lesser value moving off the 18th pick, should of received either a secound round pick from SF or their 3rd & 4th pick in this draft.

The typical thinking when a team trades down and doesn't take equal value is all their targets were off the board and did not want to reach badly at their original spot. Teams only make those bad reaches when they can't find a trade partner.  I imagine SF was one of few teams who called Jerry  and he tried to play hardball but they knew he wanted to move down so he had little leverage in that negotiation. He got schooled!

Prospect Report on #5 starting pitcher Nick Tepesch

Prospect Report on #5 starting pitcher Nick Tepesch
- Size is 6-4, 225. Drafted in the 14th round out of Missouri.
Pros: Durability and knack for throwing four pitches for strikes, reading swings and locating the ball down in the zone consistently. Fastball has late sinking action.
Cons: Does not have overpowing stuff, fastball touches 91-92 MPH.
Pitches:
Plus pitches
Fastball 91-92 mph with late sinking action
High 70s curveball
High 80s cutter
Average
Diving changeup
Two plane slider

Minor League stats
2011 - Low class A        138 IP        147 H        14 HR        33 BB        118 Ks
2012 - High class A         72 IP         68  H          3 HR         18 BB         59  Ks
         - AA                           90 IP         97  H        10 HR        26 BB          68 Ks

Stars trade the Captain

So the Stars make their second trade during the 2013 season trading the Captain Brendon Morrow to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

My first question is does this signal the team is a seller or a buyer at the deadline?  I still don't know the answer to that.  Here is why...

I see this trade as an upgrade to the defense core as the trade netted Penguins prospect Joe Morrow, the 23rd overall pick of the 2011 draft.

My first impression reading up on the newly acquired Morrow is he is an offensive defenseman who is close to ready to contribute at the NHL level, isn't that what we thought we got in Alex Goligoski?  The difference here is you gave up a old, gritty, tough defensive winger in the last year of his contract versus a young, goal scoring power winger with several years of contract protection in James Neal.

The Stars got far better equal value in this trade than they did in Ryder for Cole they did a month ago.  However I feel they filled the hole left by Morrow in the Cole trade, gave them the net presence on the top 2 lines who gives better scoring threat, size and several years already under contract.

Onto the new Morrow in Dallas, here is what we know about him.

Joe Morrow is a 20-year old offensive defenseman who was drafted 23rd overall in 2011 draft.  He stands 6-1 and 204 pounds and here's what Hockey Future's report on Morrow says:

"A mobile and aggressive two-way defenseman who can play in all situations, Joe Morrow has seen his stock rise meteorically since his draft year in 2010-11. Playing with poise and maturity far beyond his years, Morrow possesses the ability to retrieve the puck from his own zone and start the play up ice. His puck-distribution ability is top notch and he has a hard and heavy shot that typically hits the net. He also owns a high hockey IQ and does an excellent job of keeping his head up when moving the puck up ice and carrying it along the blue line."

Here is what I don't like about the deal.  Morrow is a left shot, this team is full of left shots with only Stephane Robidas as the only right handed shot on the roster. I would of liked the team to find a player who can bring some balance. The only other thing I don't like doesn't have anything to do with Joe Morrow, it has to do with the Stars trading away 2 top 6 NHL wingers and not coming away with any top line scorers or young centers to build on.

How to shop when you have no money and don't take credit cards?

Free Agency is all about overpaying for players with experience versus filling needs with younger, cheaper players who haven't done it via the draft.

The goal is to build the roster via the draft and fill those few holes in free agency to take your team to the next level.  Obviously Jerry missed that lesson but no point getting into that mess as it does us no good.

So how can you fill holes when you don't have much money to work with and a aging roster.  The answer is not through free agency!

The Cowboys should stay out of the free agency market this year, target role players with a lot of one year deals. Sign older players who were not resigned or released from their previous employers due to their age, not necessarily their play.

Then they need to build through the draft and play all the young players who you need to find out what you have.

So who are the veterans who can be those older or role players who would be willing to come here to Dallas on a one-year deal.  Well, first question to ask yourself is why would a free agency want to go anywhere on a one-year deal.  The answer is someone coming off a subpar year, injuries and looking to hit it big the next year.  A lot like former Cowboy & Seahawk Ken Hamlin and the plan worked perfectly for both parties until his play no longer warranted the compensation given.

Onto the potential targets, be prepared for a short and unimpressive list as cheap and one-year deals being on the must have list.

#1 Israel Idonije, DE from the Chicago Bears
Why he's available?
He's 33 years old and not a speed terror rusher in the mold of Aldon Smith or Von Miller. His best football is obviously behind him and teams are hesitant signing players over the age of 30 to multi-year deals especially lineman.

Why you should want him?
What if I told you Idonije had more sacks and QB pressures than recently franchised Henry Melton?  He had 9 sacks and 37 QB pressues playing over 500 snaps in 2012.  That is a durable and highly productive player at any age.  Is he a player I want to depend on as a full-time starter, probably not but depth along the defensive line is ALWAYS a good thing.  The guy is holding out to after the draft to get a 2 or 3 year deal in the area of 3 million a year for any team that did not address pass rusher in the draft.  I would cut Doug Free in a second and target Idonije to get better up front.

#2 Kellen Davis, TE also from the Bears
Why he's available?
As Idonije fell into the category of age being the primary factor he's available, Davis is there as he's coming off a subpar year. He had just 19 receptions for 229 yards getting only 2 TDs from Jay Cutler. He's never been a big receiving threat but his run blocking took a big hit as did the rest of the team in 2012. Fact is if your not a receiving threat from the tight end position and you did not open up holes for the back on the edge, interest will be low in free agency.

Why you should want him?
John Phillips has signed with Tampa Bay leaving a hole for the blocking tight end in Dallas. I do believe this job should be opened up for James Hannah to have every opportunity to take and show us what he can do. However the team will carry 3 tight ends on the roster and a blocking tight end will be necessary which is why I mention Davis here.  In 2011, Davis had a 4.9 run blocking grade according to Pro Football Focus and hopes would be for him to return to that form in 2013 in Dallas.

#3 Laurent Robinson, WR of the Jaguars
Why he's available?
The Jaguars signed Robinson in 2012 to a 5-year for 32.5 million but released him after just one season taking a 9 million cap hit to do it. Robinson has always been a injury concern dating back to his days with the Rams and Chargers. He had major issues with concussions during his time in Jacksonville and even considered retirement at one time due to the injuries. The Jaguars drafted Justin Blackmon out of Oklahoma State and made the decision to part ways with Robinson as no faith he can recover from the injuries and be a regular contributor at the price they paid.

Why you should want him?
Did you watch #81 for the Cowboys during the 2011 season?  Enough said...but the Cowboys need a receiver who can get open on the outside, Miles Austin & Dwayne Harris cannot do it consistently. This team has too many slot receiver options and not enough guys who can make things happen on the perimeter. The instant chemistry Robinson built up with Romo cannot be under estimated especially considering how difficult its been for receivers to click quickly with Romo (Dez, Roy Williams and Ogletree).

Do Not Draft Prospect: Justin Pugh, Syracuse

As the Draft season gets fully underway with the combine going on this week, I'll be talking about prospects I want Dallas to target.  Along the same lines, there will be prospects I want nothing to do with it for numerous reasons, character, motor, don't fit in the scheme or just players I don't think are good players.

First edition of this segment brings up offensive lineman Justin Pugh from Syracuse.  He has experience having started 4 years after redshirting but the best this guy could be is a backup or practice squad guy in Dallas.

He has the second worst combination for any offensive lineman prospect, very short arms and not very strong. He measured in at the combine with just 32" arm length and he plays like a guy who struggles to keep rushers off his body as well. Then factor in the fact he's not a mauler by any means nor has the leg drive to get a push in the running game.

He does move very well, get the second level often but at best, Pugh projects as a left guard in a zone blocking scheme only. With that said, guards have to play with power throughout the course of a game and Pugh will struggle at the NFL level handling tackles with strength.

As a hardcore Cowboys fan, I can see two reasons why Dallas would have interest in Pugh. One, they like guys with lots of starting experience just like any organization, more experience presents more evidence so scouts can feel better about their analysis of what a player can/can't do. Second, Dallas has had a awful run of developing offensive lineman not named Tyron Smith. They have drafted guys who had obvious flaws in college, never improved at Valley Ranch and then gone.

Their track record at picking offensive lineman is about as bad as it gets so I don't have much faith in them being able to sort out the bad from the good prospects. But I am confident to say that Justin Pugh is one to pass on by on draft day, if he works out with someone else, great and good for him.

Dallas Cowboys Draft Target: Cornellius "Tank" Carradine, Florida State

Cornellius Carradine
Florida State

2013 Combine Measurables:
Height:  6'4"
Weight:  276 lbs
Arm Length: 34 3/4"
Hand Size: 10 1/4"

I've spent most of the day studying Florida State DE Cornellius Carradine, extremely talented but inexperienced pass rusher. He only started one year at Florida State after transferring from a junior college.

He did not start as a junior simply due to the fact that Florida State had two first round prospects ahead of him on the depth chart. He's got the frame, arm length and hand size needed to be a very good NFL rusher. He tore his ACL against Florida during his senior year and will need to be checked medically this week at the combine. That will greatly decide his draft stock but based upon potential and the limited but positive production puts him as a early 2nd round prospect. However teams in the top of round 2 won't want a player who most likely won't be able to help them in year 1 so that could bump him into the middle of round two. Cowboy fans may frown on the pick for the same reason but Bruce Carter worked out pretty well didn't he under similar circumstances?

I think he will be on the Cowboys radar as Carradine has the non stop motor every cowboy drafted under Jason Garrett has to have. Second, obviously he's a need position and a sure fire first round pick had he not gotten hurt. He wore 91 at Florida State and draws favorable comparisons to former Notre Dame player Justin Tuck.

I watched five of his games, best effort was easily vs Duke. Florida State destroyed Duke and Carradine was just a terror all day. The LT for Duke had no business being on the field with him. That game film is not a accurate reflection of Carradine but it show you what he is capable of.


The worst film is probably vs Florida or South Florida. The competition was better vs Florida and USF ran the ball far more right at him. I was surprised how well Carradine holds his own at the POA but he struggles to shed blocks. I was also surprised how well he can get inside a tackle on the rush, shoots the gap and draws a lot of holding calls or inside penetration to force the QB to move out of the pocket.

I noticed he struggles with counter moves, too be expected considering the lack of experience and when he gets tired, he will let blockers get into his body and he is easily contained. He takes poor angles which again I am not surprised about, the effort and athleticism is there. The more football this kid plays, the less of an issue I think that will be and he makes a lot of tackles anyway, that will go up once he reads those angles better.

He is not polished by any means nor is he as talented as Werner at FSU but confident with the effort and tools Carradine has to work with. He may not be a premier pass rusher but profiles to me as a 6-8 sack/yr guy while also being a equally strong defender vs the run on the strongisde in a 4-3.
 

Cowboys cap situation and cuts

Free - $9,060,000
Penalty - $6,180,000
Net Gain: 2,880,000

So bottom line if you cut Free & Ratliff only save $3,880,000

Dan Connor - $4,350,000
Penalty - $1,350,000
Net Gain - $3,000,000

Gerald Sensabaugh - $3,750,000
Penalty - $2,250,000
Net Gain - $1,500,000

Marcus Spears - $2,700,000
Penalty - $2,100,000
Net Gain - $600k

Miles Austin - $8,302,000
Penalty - $4,710,000
Net Gain - $3,592,000

Even if you made all these cuts would clear: $12,572,000.

Also would mean you would have $16,590,000 in dead money on 2013 cap.

Sports Corner SHow Notes 1/13/12

Cowboys fire Rob Ryan, hire former Bucs DC Monte Kiffin, 4-3 defense comes back to Dallas.

-          Reason for Ryan firing: Jerry said the defenses performance against the Seahawks and Bears were primary reasons for his dismissal. (The offense and special teams unit turned the ball over 8 times in those 2 games).

-          This move was all Jerry, confirms Jason Garrett is a puppet head coach just as we all suspected all along.

-          Defense moves to 4-3 scheme but more importantly the cover 2 scheme. This puts less a priority on corners in coverage (yr after you traded 2^nd round pick and $50 million for Carr & Claiborne). Puts more coverage responsibilities on the safeties. Also, the corners have to be better run defenders. Neither of which is their forte.

o       Huge questions along Dline, you have DWare but that’s it. Spencer is free agent, cost $8 million a yr over 4-5 yrs. Can’t depend that Jay Ratliff will be impact player with his recent history (durability and declining play prior to that).

-          Team should admit mistakes and pay the financial price for it.

o       Miles Austin, Jay Ratliff, Doug Free, Gerald Sensabaugh, Marcus Spears, Dan Connor need to go. Problem is they will not admit those mistakes since they have no alternative due to constant misses in draft.

Mavericks win two in a row!

-          Beat the Memphis Grizzlies 104 – 83. Key was a tough defensive performance, held the Grizzlies to 39 points in the first half, by far their best performance defensively to date. Other key point is Mavs had six players score double digits vs a team that ranked 2^nd in NBA in scoring defense.

o       Record is now 15-23.

-          Despite Mavericks poor start to the season, Cuban said he has no plans to trade Dirk.

The NHL lockout is officially over and there will be hockey this year.

-          First order of business for Stars will be to lock up Jamie Benn to a new contract. Team wants to sign him to a 3 yr deal for about $6 million a yr. Benn wants a 5-6 yr deal that takes him right to unrestricted free agency to hit a well deserved big payday.

-          Stars first game is Saturday, January 19^th vs the Phoenix Coyotes.

o       Team will not be a overly physical team especially defensively, think will have a hard time holding onto leads.

o       The powerplay should be drastically improved adding capable scorers in the top 6.

o       The lockout shorterned season should help the old vets of Ray Whitney & Jaromir Jagr make a consistent impact this season.

Rangers sign DH Lance Berkman

-          Signed him to one year $11 million deal with a club option for a second year.

o       He will be the switch hitting bat to help give protection to the top half of the lineup. Washington has already said he will hit 3^rd.

o       Berkman will work pitchers and not be the easy out (first pitch swinging) that plagued Josh Hamilton, Mike Young and even Ian Kinsler.

o       Durability is a concern after he played only 32 games in 2012 but team is banking on a performance of 130 games, 30 homers with 90 plus RBIs hitting around .290

o       I really like the signing as gives Rangers a tough out in the lineup and if the team gets off to a poor start or even out of the running for a playoff spot. This along with other veterans a valuable trade piece to send elsewhere and get good prospects in return.