We’re back again with a full Strained Hammy Podcast. In this episode, we analyze the Cowboys Draft and talk about the Rangers’ impressive start to the season. Also, we have two times the outtakes!
Strained Hammy Podcast: Episode 6
1
Category Archives: Cowboys
Cowboys Draft Analysis
(www.wfaa.com)
The Dallas Cowboys needed to have a great draft going into this upcoming season. With little to no hope of signing any impact free agents, Dallas needed to make hay in key positions of need in order to reach the potential their talent suggests. Two straight seasons of 8-8 and losing elimination games in the last week of the season shows two things: 1. They are close. 2. Their holes are too much to overcome and have handcuffed them to mediocrity.
2013 Cowboys Draft: Pick-by-Pick Grades
Going into the draft I believe it was generally accepted that the biggest needs for the Cowboys were Offensive Guard, Defensive Tackle, Right Tackle, and Safety. That might have been followed by Center and Defensive End. Coming out of the draft they addressed two of those needs and only one is a starter. In this draft, they needed to come away with three to four starters and that certainly didn’t happen. Here is a pick-by-pick breakdown and grade of how the Cowboys did.
*Draft picks cannot not realistically be graded until their careers are over; these grades are based on the value of the selection and how it fits the needs of the Cowboys.
B.W. Webb
www.tribeathletics.com
With the 114th pick in this years NFL Draft the Dallas Cowboys selected B.W. Webb the corner from William and Mary. The 5’10″ 184 lbs small school corner is a true zone corner and should fit well in the Cowboys Tampa 2 scheme.
The other major positive with Webb is that he is a high turnover guy, a thing that may help to change the Cowboys defensive identity as a low interception team. This guy had 8 interceptions in his red shirt freshman year and then fell off because teams stopped throwing at him. Continue reading
JJ Wilcox
www.nbcdfw.com
With the 80th pick in the 2013 NFL draft, the Dallas Cowboys got around to addressing some needs, selecting JJ Wilcox the safety from Georgia Southern.
Wilcox is an impressive athlete and should be able to turn into a good interception guy as he started his career at Georgia Southern as a wide receiver. 6 feet tall and 213 he has good size and attacks the line of scrimmage as a run stopper. His technique is raw though because he has only played one season on the defensive side of the ball. Continue reading
Terrance Williams
www.sportsnumerology.com
With the 74th pick of the NFL draft, the Dallas Cowboys pick Baylor wide out Terrance Williams. Williams is a heck of a player, and put up some absolutely silly numbers the last 2 years at Baylor.
Willams is a good player and should make an impact in a reserve role this season. The wide receiver is a great value pick in the third round and should have very little problem living up to his draft status. Continue reading
Gavin Escobar
www.nflmocks.com
With the 47th pick the Cowboys selected San Diego State tight end Gavin Escobar. Escobar is a talented pass catching tight end and may find a role in a 2 tight end set for the Cowboys. James Hanna was not really able to take Martellus Bennett’s role in these sets for the Cowboys last season.
Escobar is a big body at 6’6″ 254 lbs and though he ran a sub par 40 time, he seems to have the speed needed to beat safeties down the seem. He is not a good blocker, but has the best hands of any tight end in the draft. Continue reading
Travis Frederick
www.foxsportswisconsin.com
After trading out of the 18th pick in the draft, the Cowboys selected Wisconsin center Travis Fredrick. Without judging what they left on the board or giving grades, as that is silly without at least seeing all the players through training camp, we will evaluate Fredrick.
Travis Frederick is 6’4″ and 312 lbs. He is also immediately the Cowboys best Center. He is a big player who opens holes at the point of attack. He has a great ability to turn defenders in the hole to create space. The bull rush is no problem for Frederick. He is a smart player, scoring 34 out of 50 on his Wonderlick exam and being called maybe the smartest player in the draft. His shot gun snaps have been described as reliable with good velocity. He handles stunts and blitzes well and has great positioning. Continue reading
Value Propositions and “The Process”
prop·o·si·tion noun \ˌprä-pə-ˈzi-shən\
-
an expression in language that can be believed, doubted, or denied or is either true or false
Eric Reid. Justin Pugh. Kyle Long. Sharrif Floyd. Sylvester Williams.
Remember those names. These are players that seemingly fit the Cowboys’ many pressing needs but were missed when the Cowboys traded down thirteen spots in the 2013 NFL Draft. Instead of picking one of these players with the 18th pick, Dallas picked C/G Travis Frederick with the 31st pick, the pick the NFC Champions gave up so they could grab Eric Reid at 18. Frederick is a player most prognosticators had slotted to be picked in the late 2nd round – some said he might’ve been available at 47, the Cowboys’ next pick. Frederick, on 105.3 The Fan, said himself, “I thought I was a second-round offensive lineman.” At the rate offensive lineman were going off the board, though, it’s hard to know if he would have made it to pick 47.
Strained Hammy Talks: Cowboys’ Draft Part 2
In the second part of our series on the Cowboys’ options in the 2013 NFL Draft, we discuss who the Cowboys might go after in the later rounds, and who they should stay away from.