The Cowboys have managed to discover some gems at the end of the draft over the last decade. They may have found another one today. Defensive tackle Sean Lissemore from William and Mary was the Cowboys last pick. The thing that makes you raise your eyebrows about this guy is his athletic history. He was a track star in high school. And I'm not talking about throwing the shot put. He ran the 100 meter dash in 11.20 seconds in high school and was one of the best sprinters in New Jersey.
He was a linebacker in high school but moved to defensive tackle in college. He has maintained much of his athleticism while adding 50 pounds to his frame to weigh in around 300 pounds. And he ran a 4.8 40-yard dash at his pro day this year. His size and versatility makes me think of Jay Ratliff. I'm not saying he'll be that good, but he is definitely a unique player in the draft.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
More Cornerback Depth
Jamar Wall played in the pass happy Big 12 conference and was a second team all conference player last season. Not bad for a 6th round pick. Obviously at this stage in the draft there is really not telling what you are going to get out of your pick. It would be nice if Wall turns out to be a guy who can make the team and provide depth at cornerback.
Wall is about 5'10" and 200 lbs. so he has decent size. Some projected him as high as a third round pick. I don't know if Wall will ever be a starter, but he can hit. Watch the video. He'll be great on special teams.
Wall is about 5'10" and 200 lbs. so he has decent size. Some projected him as high as a third round pick. I don't know if Wall will ever be a starter, but he can hit. Watch the video. He'll be great on special teams.
Finally Some O-Line Depth
The Cowboys finally got the tackle that everyone has been expecting. Sam Young out of Notre Dame was taken in the 6th round. He played right tackle at Notre Dame which reinforces the belief that Doug Free is the long term answer at left tackle for the Cowboys. Young has experience at both tackles but spent most of his time on the right side.
Sam Young is huge. 6'8" and 320 pounds. He fits the Cowboys prototype for a lineman. And he supposedly plays with an attitude similar to Colombo. He looks like a potential replacement for Marc Col0mbo after a few years of developmental time.
So now the Cowboys have hit what most people deemed as the essential need positions prior to the draft. It will be interesting to see what they do the rest of the way. I'm still waiting for Spears, Crayton, or Hurd to be traded.
Sam Young is huge. 6'8" and 320 pounds. He fits the Cowboys prototype for a lineman. And he supposedly plays with an attitude similar to Colombo. He looks like a potential replacement for Marc Col0mbo after a few years of developmental time.
So now the Cowboys have hit what most people deemed as the essential need positions prior to the draft. It will be interesting to see what they do the rest of the way. I'm still waiting for Spears, Crayton, or Hurd to be traded.
Akwasi Owusu-Ansah
That's going to be a tough name to spell for the next few years. It appears that this guy can play cornerback or safety and he has the ability to return punts and kickoffs. He might be a bit of a project at safety but that is pretty much what you are going to get at this point in the draft. It is hard to project guys from small schools at the NFL level, but Orlando Scandrick was unheralded and worked out just fine.
The video shows me a guy who looks like a decent safety prospect. He doesn't look terribly quick but he seems to be able to find the ball. I can't complain about this one. There is the safety everyone has been looking for. Now the Cowboys need to get some help on the offensive line.
The video shows me a guy who looks like a decent safety prospect. He doesn't look terribly quick but he seems to be able to find the ball. I can't complain about this one. There is the safety everyone has been looking for. Now the Cowboys need to get some help on the offensive line.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Middle Linebacker in Round 2
Everyone, including me, was predicting a tackle or safety with the second round pick for the Dallas Cowboys. But the Cowboys made a slightly surprising move by going for a middle linebacker, Sean Lee out of Penn State. Keith Brooking doesn't have more than a year or two left so the pick isn't a total surprise. I thought before the draft that the Cowboys needed to pick a middle linebacker. I just didn't think they'd place such a high priority on getting one.
It is always a good thing when you can get a linebacker from Penn State, a.k.a. linebacker U. A lot of the draft gurus had Sean Lee rated as the top middle linebacker in the draft. He looks athletic and instinctive. The concerns are durability. If the Cowboys can get him to stay healthy he looks like a guy who could man the middle for 10-12 years.
It wasn't a flashy pick like the move to get Dez Bryant but it is hard to argue against drafting a potential 10-12 year starter at middle linebacker. The Cowboys went into this draft a little shorthanded with picks but it looks like they have landed a couple of potentially great players so far.
It is always a good thing when you can get a linebacker from Penn State, a.k.a. linebacker U. A lot of the draft gurus had Sean Lee rated as the top middle linebacker in the draft. He looks athletic and instinctive. The concerns are durability. If the Cowboys can get him to stay healthy he looks like a guy who could man the middle for 10-12 years.
It wasn't a flashy pick like the move to get Dez Bryant but it is hard to argue against drafting a potential 10-12 year starter at middle linebacker. The Cowboys went into this draft a little shorthanded with picks but it looks like they have landed a couple of potentially great players so far.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Dez Bryant...Wow!
I have to be excited by the pick for Dez Bryant but I do have some mixed emotions. I just hope the rumors about his problems with getting places on time and knowing the offensive plays were just pre-draft garbage. The guy is an athletic freak. He goes up and gets the ball, he is powerful and he is fast. The Cowboys are now completely stacked at wide receiver.
But the question that now will need to be answered is what is going to happen with Roy Williams. Maybe the Cowboys will try to find a way to get all three guys on the field at the same time but he seems like the player the Cowboys thought they were getting when they traded for Roy Williams. The rest of the draft and the upcoming few months will be very interesting for #11.
Tony Romo has to be thrilled to have another weapon on the outside. Miles Austin has to be thrilled to have a receiver across from him who will make plays. Jason Witten is going to run free all day because there won't be enough defenders to double him every play anymore. I think Witten might put up 100 receptions since he'll get more matchups against linebackers. The offense is going to be exciting.
And did I mention that he returns punts too?
But the question that now will need to be answered is what is going to happen with Roy Williams. Maybe the Cowboys will try to find a way to get all three guys on the field at the same time but he seems like the player the Cowboys thought they were getting when they traded for Roy Williams. The rest of the draft and the upcoming few months will be very interesting for #11.
Tony Romo has to be thrilled to have another weapon on the outside. Miles Austin has to be thrilled to have a receiver across from him who will make plays. Jason Witten is going to run free all day because there won't be enough defenders to double him every play anymore. I think Witten might put up 100 receptions since he'll get more matchups against linebackers. The offense is going to be exciting.
And did I mention that he returns punts too?
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
2010 Schedule Release
The 2010 schedule release is always a big deal in my house. It allows my family to plan our fall trips and pick the games we want to attend. The opponents are obviously no surprise but a few of the dates and times do raise an eyebrow. Here are some quick first impressions of the Dallas Cowboys 2010 schedule.
1. Philadelphia in the final game again? I was hoping for the Redskins but it shouldn't surprise me that the schedule makes tried to make it tough on the Cowboys again with the finale being played at Philadelphia. Hopefully this year the Cowboys can lock up the division before the final game.
2. New Orleans on Thanksgiving is shocking. The Cowboys usually get an easy game on Thanksgiving but it looks like it will be a tough one this season. I'm surprised the schedule makers put such a good game on Thanksgiving when they are basically guaranteed good ratings no matter who Dallas plays.
3. I know its hard to predict the quality of each team before the draft has even taken place but it sure looks like a possible 4-0 start at this point. And 5-0 is out of the question depending on how the Brett Favre saga plays out in Minnesota.
4. Three Sunday night games. I love the Sunday night games but I hate Sunday night in week 1. We will have to sit and wait all day long for the Cowboys to get on the field. That makes for a very long day.
5. The Christmas day game just pisses me off. I can't believe the NFL thinks it is a good idea to make any team play on Christmas when it doesn't fall on a Sunday. It always causes major trouble with my family when I have to bail on family time on a major holiday for a Cowboys game. Thanksgiving is understood to be a game day but Christmas doesn't go over so well with my relatives.
6. I know it isn't a surprise but it is always nice to see Detroit on the schedule.
7. Two Philadelphia games in December. Hopefully the Eagles will take a step back this season while they break in their new quarterback.
8. Get ready for the Houston Texans and their fans to treat the week 3 game like the Super Bowl. They are almost treated as insignificant throughout the rest of the state and their fans want nothing more than to embarrass the Cowboys. They have beaten the Cowboys before in Houston so I'm sure the crowd will make it a tough game again.
It is nice to be able to look at the schedule and truly believe that every game is winnable. I'm not saying 16-0 is going to happen for the Cowboys. It isn't. But the Cowboys are capable of beating every team on their schedule.
1. Philadelphia in the final game again? I was hoping for the Redskins but it shouldn't surprise me that the schedule makes tried to make it tough on the Cowboys again with the finale being played at Philadelphia. Hopefully this year the Cowboys can lock up the division before the final game.
2. New Orleans on Thanksgiving is shocking. The Cowboys usually get an easy game on Thanksgiving but it looks like it will be a tough one this season. I'm surprised the schedule makers put such a good game on Thanksgiving when they are basically guaranteed good ratings no matter who Dallas plays.
3. I know its hard to predict the quality of each team before the draft has even taken place but it sure looks like a possible 4-0 start at this point. And 5-0 is out of the question depending on how the Brett Favre saga plays out in Minnesota.
4. Three Sunday night games. I love the Sunday night games but I hate Sunday night in week 1. We will have to sit and wait all day long for the Cowboys to get on the field. That makes for a very long day.
5. The Christmas day game just pisses me off. I can't believe the NFL thinks it is a good idea to make any team play on Christmas when it doesn't fall on a Sunday. It always causes major trouble with my family when I have to bail on family time on a major holiday for a Cowboys game. Thanksgiving is understood to be a game day but Christmas doesn't go over so well with my relatives.
6. I know it isn't a surprise but it is always nice to see Detroit on the schedule.
7. Two Philadelphia games in December. Hopefully the Eagles will take a step back this season while they break in their new quarterback.
8. Get ready for the Houston Texans and their fans to treat the week 3 game like the Super Bowl. They are almost treated as insignificant throughout the rest of the state and their fans want nothing more than to embarrass the Cowboys. They have beaten the Cowboys before in Houston so I'm sure the crowd will make it a tough game again.
It is nice to be able to look at the schedule and truly believe that every game is winnable. I'm not saying 16-0 is going to happen for the Cowboys. It isn't. But the Cowboys are capable of beating every team on their schedule.
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