The Cowboys were an enigma this year, going into the season they were expecting/expected to be the first team in the Super Bowl era to play the big game in their home stadium.....hilarity ensued as they started off 1-7, got Wade Phillips fired as Head Coach, lost their starting QB to injury, and then played competitively at the end of the season to still finish an embarrassing 6-10. A 6-10 record typically means a team has a whole lot of work to do, but I believe they are closer than most think. Most mock drafts have the Cowboys taking a CB, OT, or DE with their first pick, and numerous other positions with their 2nd round pick (everything from S, to ILB, OG, DE, and everything else). Obviously what they do depends on what happens with the 8 picks before them and I will attempt to play out the most likely scenarios here.
One of the two most common pick that mock drafters have the Cowboys taking at #9 is Nebraska cornerback Prince Amukamara, and I must admit if he is available I think they should STRONGLY consider taking him. I believe this draft is not very deep on CB's that can make an impact early, so if they are going to take one they need to do it early. Prince is the near consensus #2 DB in the draft and the Cowboys have a desperate need at CB after they ranked 26th in the league against the pass in 2010. Terence Newman is likely to be cut before the season due to age, injury, salary, and diminishing skills; and Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick are the other options and they struggled last year due to an inconsistent pass rush, horrible safety play, and "over thinking" instead of using their natural instincts (I expect them to bounce back this year). The other CB that could be considered would be Colorado's Jimmy Smith who many believe is more talented than Prince (including myself), but his off-field concerns (numerous failed drug tests, 2 arrests, and his #1 off-field concern is a perceived lack of passion/desire to maximize his talents with hard work) will most likely keep him off the Cowboys draft board after they took a chance on someone with supposed "character concerns" last year in Dez Bryant (who apparently forgot to take the class at Oklahoma State where they teach you that you have to pay for what you buy or the one that teaches you that it is not smart to spend 150% of your yearly salary on diamonds).
The next most popular pick for the Cowboys at #9 is OT Tyron Smith of the other USC (Southern California that is). For the Cowboys, taking any offensive lineman at #9 is a mistake (I know, it's weird saying that as bad as their O-line was), they should not need a LT because I think Doug Free can be "the guy" for them for the next 7-10 years, and I just do not see Smith or any other OL prospect being solid enough to go that high this year (possibly Pouncey, but you can move back and get him). And if I think Free is the the anchor of the line, then Smith or any tackle they select would be relegated to the right hand side, and I do not think that selecting a RT (really its the LT backup) at #9 is a good philosophy especially in this draft where there is a lot of value to be had at the end of the 1st round. What keeps Tyron Smith from being a "sure fire" elite prospect in my eyes is he appears to lack the passion and work ethic (gained over 20 bad pounds between end of season and combine) that I want out of a top 10 pick, and is still a little to raw for me (in the NBA they draft on potential especially in the top 15 picks, me, I don't draft on potential until 3rd round). My other concern with Tyron Smith is that at USC he played right tackle, and even at the collegiate level your best offensive lineman plays left tackle, so why didn't Smith play left tackle? If the Cowboys are dead set on reaching for an offensive lineman at #9 they should go for Pouncey or Gabe Carimi.
The last position I have been hearing recently for the Cowboys at #9 is Defensive End, in particular, Wisconsin's J.J. Watt. DE (5-technique) in the Cowboys 3-4 is just not an impact player and I have made my opinion perfectly clear that they just need a big body that can occupy blockers and play the run, and there is not a 3-4 DE in the NFL that I can think of that I would take at #9 in the draft, it is just not an impact position! So regardless of how bad Dallas needs a 3-4 DE, it is just not a position that is worthy of using a high (and rarely even a low) 1st round pick.
So after all of that, I bet you are wondering, "Then what the heck does the ReclinerQB think the Dallas Cowboys should do with their 1st round draft pick?". They should trade out of that spot, no matter what, and don't tell me that they cannot find a trading partner because they can. Now they might not be able to get the "value" that the trade chart says they should, or that people think they should get, but with the guaranteed money that they have to dole out for the contract that the #9 spot requires....there will probably not be a worthy player there that fits their needs. So even if they can only swap 1st round picks with another team and pick up a 3rd or 4th rounder, than do it. There will be a player you want and need further down in the 1st round like any number of offensive tackles and CB (Jimmy Smith would be a steal in the 20's). Then they will be set up perfectly to take one of the higher rated offensive guards with their second round pick.
It's a win-win situation, and to pull this off perfectly and get Dallas back in the Super Bowl hunt, Jerry just needs to bring me in there and let me run (or at least help) this thing for him (I will even let him take credit), if he does that then I promise the Dallas Cowboys will be back in the Super Bowl hunt this year (if he lets me hang around and help out).
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