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.

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).

Copy cat league changing thoughts on QB prospects

The success of RG3, Cam Newton, Russell Wilson and even Andrew Luck has teams reconsidering the way they rate the QB coming out of college.

I find this absolutely ridiculous, does a QB need to be a runner, no but does he have to be athletic to side step the rush?  Yes most definitely.

There is a difference between the two.  The NFL has taken so many steps to protect the QB to ensure offenses continue to succeed to put points on the board which keeps butts in the seats as well as viewers watching on TV. Fact

All bets are off when it comes to protecting the QB as soon he becomes a runner. Yes, they can still slide to avoid a tackle but if you are running inside consistently, you are going to get your guy roughed up. It takes a toll on your thrower and can impact the entire team, ask Phildelphia.

Personally, your QB needs to have the athleticism to extend a play with his feet but complete it with his arm. Teams mortgage their future to hit on a franchise QB (Washington) and why in the hell would you put your most prized and valuable commodity in a position to take more hits.

A QB prospect that cannot extend the play with his feet and beat you with his arm should be not be a high prospect regardless. A QB that can only run the ball but struggles to beat you through the air can be easily defeated in the NFL.  They can get away with it in college but not in the pros.  Fact until proven otherwise where it counts, Super Bowls son!

The count is still at zero!  Ask Philadelphia (Vick, Randall Cunningham), Denver (Tebow), Minnesota (Tavaris Jackson), Dallas (Quincy Carter), Tennessee (Vince Young) and Pittsburgh (Kordell Stewart). The arguement can go on forever debating whether or not the likes of John Elway, Steve Young, Steve McNair and Donovan mcNabb were running QBs or QBs who could extend plays with their feet but beat you with their arm.

Fact is there are about 15-20 great to quality quarterbacks capable of handling an NFL offense and beating a defense consistently on Sundays, that means there are less than one for every team in the NFL. With the hopes of a championship riding on keeping your quarterback in the game, again I ask, why in the hell would you put them in that position to take more hits?

I am not changing what I look for in a NFL QB prospect, a good arm, anticipate your throws with accuracy, plus footwork, progress through your reads, find passing lanes and extend the play with your feet but beat the defense with your arm.