Courtesy GregBaker.webs.com

In the 8th episode of the Strained Hammy podcast, we chat with Greg Baker, a DFW area professional basketball player, whose career has taken him from Texas to Germany. We talk about his career so far, his Summer Grind Basketball Camp, and we pick his basketball brain for his thoughts on the Dallas Mavericks.

Jeff Baker’s website: www.gregbaker.webs.com

Summer Grind Basketball Camp: June 24 – 26. Register at www.hoopworkshop.com!

The seventh episode of the Strained Hammy Podcast is here!

Topics:

Rangers: Are they the best team in baseball? Mavs: What’s your dream scenario this offseason. Love Story: How did you fall in love with your favorite team?

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!

00:30 – 16:40: Cowboys Draft – first 3 picks.

17:20 – 35:43: Cowboys Draft – the rest of the picks.

36:15 – 52:23: The Rangers’ start to the season.

Enjoy!

(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.

The draft isn’t a place to fix several holes in your team, you may get fortunate enough to have your needs line up with your place in the draft order, but if not, you have a responsibility to the health of your franchise to take players that justify their picks.

Cowboy fans were optimistic going into this year’s draft because their needs were along the offensive line and in the interior of the defensive line. These positions are never in high demand and rarely does one player that plays these positions go in the top ten in the draft. Most years the 18th pick would allow you to have your pick of the best guard, center, or defensive tackle in the draft. This was not most years.

6 offensive lineman went in the first 11 picks in the draft. Last season, only 4 offensive lineman were taken in the whole first round. Two guards were taken in the top ten in this draft. Last season, the first guard was drafted as the 24th pick. The run on offensive lineman was historic, and this nightmare scenario for the Cowboys tied their hands.

The general consensus was that when the Cowboys traded out of the 18 pick, that they did not get enough back in the deal by receiving the 49ers 1st round pick, number 31, and their 3rd round pick, the 74th overall. Using the infamous draft trade chart the Cowboys 18th pick was worth 900 points, and the Niner’s 31st pick was worth 600 leaving a difference of 300. The 74th pick was worth 220 points, leaving a difference of 80. 80 points in the draft is the equivalent of a late 4th round pick so in this instance the consensus was right. The Cowboys got fleeced.

None of that matters today though – the only thing that matters the day after the draft and going forward is the collection of talent that you have acquired. Let’s take a look at this year’s talent pool for the Cowboys.

Round 1

Travis Frederick – Center- Wisconsin: Frederick is a real mauler. A wonderlick of 34 and a reputation for having a mean streak a mile wide. The Wisconsin center has drawn some unfavorable comparisons to current Cowboys starter Phil Costa due to his reduced weight at the combine. Frederick was down to 308 then which may have lead to his surprising low showing of 21 reps on the bench press. Frederick’s playing weight is 332 and he is already back up to 320. When scouts say Frederick plays strong and can stand up to both the inside blitz and the mammoth nose tackle it is because he is simply more man than Costa. The argument that has driven me most insane about the Frederick pick is the notion that he would have been available at the 47th pick. While I would have preferred to land both Eric Reid and Travis Frederick, the Titans and Bengals both selected between the 31st and 47th pick and both selected centers in this draft.  It is silly to say definitively that neither of those teams, or even another team, would not have been tempted by the best center in the draft in the area that historically that player goes.

Verdict: Frederick will be a day one starter and should be a massive upgrade at the center position. He was not a value pick, but was a necessary one.

Round 2

Gavin Escobar -Tight End- San Diego State: Escobar is a big target. He possess great ball skills, is able to catch balls in traffic and the leaping ability to make tough catches in the red zone. What he doesn’t possess is elite speed or any blocking skill. This was the most puzzling pick of the Cowboys draft, tight end was certainly not a position of need for Dallas and Johnathan Hankins a player that would fill the Cowboys more immediate 1 technique need went just 2 picks later. There were also 3 running backs and 2 safeties taken later in the round. That the Cowboys passed on so many players of greater need to take Escobar says that they really like him, and that Jason Garrett feels that a successful two tight end system will change the dynamics of his offense.

Verdict: Who knows, if Escobar is relegated to the same type of role that Martellus Bennett and James Hanna where relegated to, then it’s a bust for this season. If he is more productive and helps to make yards equal points, then he is well worth the pick.

Round 3

Terrance Williams-WR- Baylor:  If the 2nd round pick of Escobar was the most confusing pick of the draft, this was the most sound. By the 74th pick, most of the impact players at key positions where gone, and Williams represented tremendous value in the 3rd round. Williams should be able to take the top off of defenses, keep coordinators from rolling coverages to Dez Bryant, and allow Miles Austin to play his more comfortable slot position in 3 reciever sets. The knock on Williams is that he is a body catcher, but a reliable one. This will keep him from ever being a number 1 wideout, but his skills may allow Dallas to get out from under Miles Austin’s cost prohibitive contract.

The Verdict: Terrance Williams can flat play. He will be an impact player immediatley and has every opportunity to become a cheap, more durable, Miles Austin in his second season.

JJ Wilcox-Safety-Georgia Southern: Jerry Jones must have been pleased getting one player ready to play this season, becuase with his second 3rd round pick, the Cowboys went with a pure project. Wilcox has only played one season at safety, having also spent time at running back and wide reciever. He has the tools to play the position, possessing elite athletism if not elite speed. He isn’t afraid to put a hit on somebody and has great hand for a DB. Wilcox should also be a good special teams contributor and perhaps that is where his impact will be felt this season.

Verdict: JJ Wilcox is a good football player, but it remains to be seen if he can be a starting safety in the NFL. He is a great athlete that may be worth the pick, but I would have preferred a more seasoned safety to compete with the current young starters for Dallas.

Fourth Round

BW Webb-Corner- William and Mary: I really like this pick, despite the fact that he is a small school guy whose numbers dropped off dramatically after his freshman season. BW Webb is a playmaker, a guy who fits in Monte Kiffin’s coverage schemes, and in his small league was a shut down corner. His interceptions dropped off after his redshirt freshman season because teams just stopped throwing at him. Webb was still electric as a special teams player, winning CAA co-special teams player of the year.

Verdict: Webb will contribute this season, and could be a big time player on special teams. He is another pick that could free up funds for the Cowboys if he is able to beat out Orlando Scandrick and his bloated contract for nickel corner.

Fifth Round

Joseph Randle-Running Back-Oklahoma State: Competeing with Terrance Williams as best value pick in the draft, Randle was projected as high as two rounds earlier. Joseph Randle was just what the doctor ordered for the Cowboys. A player that can both complement Demarco Murray and replace him when Murray is inevitably injured. Randle is a well rounded back, and while he doesn’t have the speed to be a home run hitter in the NFL, he is fast enough to move the chains.

Verdict: Joseph Randle was a wonderful pick and should add a great deal to the Cowboys running game. The offensive line was the biggest part of the running game problem last season, but it didn’t help when Murray went out and Felix Jones and his bag entered the game.

6th Round

DeVonte Holloman- Linebacker-South Carolina: Hollman is a pick that checks all my boxes for late round picks. He is a major school player, at a position of need, and is player of more potential than his draft spot. Holloman is a converted safety, who has made himself into a strong-side backer. He made plays for a great defense at South Carolina. Holloman didn’t show well at the combine and it remains to be seen if he is a good enough athlete to compete at this level.

Verdict: I think Holloman will make this team, as a 6th round pick that is a success. He should be able to get some time on gameday as a special teams player as long as he can beat out undrafted free agent Brandon Magee.

Overall, I believe the Cowboys did a good job of collecting talent. They didn’t get enough in their first round trade, but they ended up with 7 players that should make this team, and should get playing time in their rookie season. If that happens, this will be the best Cowboys draft in some time.

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.

1st Round – Pick 31 (trade down from 18 received additional 3rd 74th overall): C+

Travis Frederick was selected with the ‘Boys first pick. Frederick should be the starting center next season. Although I like the player, I don’t think this was a value selection for a high position of need. Phil Costa missed most of last season due to injury but played well when he was healthy. He started all 16 games the year before as an undrafted free agent in his second year. Costa signed a 2 year extension this offseason and it was assumed that he would be the starter again. Many say that Costa is undersized at 6’3” 312 pounds, so it’s a really good thing they drafted the much larger Frederick at 6’4” 313 pounds. Wait, what? The Cowboys basically drafted the same size center with the same knock as Costa, not that terribly strong. At least scouts say that Frederick played strong and didn’t get pushed around. The Cowboys now have to figure out how Costa fits in; does he slide to a guard? Having two interior guys that are as good at making line calls as Frederick and Costa could be beneficial, but there isn’t a lot of size with that combination. Is Costa just a backup? Probably, but he isn’t the typical swing backup that can play guard and center.  Frederick would have likely been available with the 47th pick and that’s the real reason this pick loses value. On the upside, they did get an extra pick out of it and made a nice selection.

2nd Round – Pick 47: C+

Gavin Escobar was selected to be a red zone target. He is a big tight end with very good hands. He runs good routes and is a mismatch against linebackers and defensive backs despite average speed. I discussed the Cowboys taking a tight end in this draft if it was Tyler Eifert or Zac Ertz (as future Witten replacement), or a blocking tight end like Nick Kasa later on in the draft. Eifert and Ertz were gone by the time the Boys were on the clock in the second, so instead of taking LeVeon Bell (who went with the next pick) or Larry Warford or Johnathan Jenkins, all players who would have been immediate contributors, they took a third TE that may not even beat James Hanna for the backup TE spot. I think Escobar is a terrific prospect that doesn’t fit the Cowboys needs at all.

3rd Round – Pick 74: B+

Terrance Williams is a nice value selection in the third round. Williams was thought of as a higher draft prospect most likely to be taken in the second round but some thought he may have been a first round talent. He is 6’2” 210 pounds and runs a sub 4.5 40 – sounds similar to Miles Austin except with better college production. Williams will immediately jump into the 3rd WR spot and may force Austin out after this season. Austin will have a huge cap hit in 2014 and could be an option to be cut to save space. This year he is not an option as his cap hit is more than the money it would save the Boys by cutting him. Williams will have at least one season to be the third WR with little pressure behind Dez and Austin and will likely be allowed to spread the field with his deep threat speed.

3rd Round – Pick 80: C-

JJ Wilcox is a small school project safety with decent size, very good hands, and above average speed. The Cowboys already have a project safety in Matt Johnson but that is about the only comparison. Johnson is 2 inches taller and significantly faster (2 tenths faster in the 40). He also has a better history of being a ball-hawking safety with far more career interceptions. Wilcox only played one year as a defensive player being a wide receiver and running back in previous collegiate seasons. Although this selection does meet a position of need, he is not an obvious day one starter and not obviously better than safeties already on the team.

4th Round – Pick 114: B

BW Webb is one of the most athletic defensive backs in the draft. He went to a small school and is a little undersized, but he has good speed and a phenomenal vertical jump.  He has a knack for finding the ball on defense and has shown he can be a good aggressive tackler. He has also excelled as a good return man. He figures to compete for the slot CB position which makes sense in the Tampa 2. He is a good fit and you can never have too many corners. Many scouts projected him as a high 3rd round pick so this was very good value.

5th Round – Pick 151: B-

Joseph Randle is eerily similar to the RB already on the team Demarco Murray, and that’s a good thing. Randle is 6’0” and just over 200 pounds. He is not as fast as Murry but has a similar running style. The best thing that is different than Murray is that Randle has a history of being healthy. He will likely be the 3rd RB on the depth chart behind Murray and Dunbar, but will be the immediate backup to Murray with Dunbar being the third down back. Randle will have to contribute on special teams but I think the insurance of a healthy runner that can carry the load behind Murray is worth it.

6th Round – Pick 185: B-

DeVonte Holloman is a 6’1” 246 pound outside linebacker that started more games at safety for South Carolina than he did at LB. It is said that he has the best coverage skills of any linebacker in the draft which could help him find a role in this defense. He could slide into the SAM or strong side linebacker position on 3rd downs spelling Ernie Sims, Justin Durant, Alex Albright or Kyle Wilber (all considered 2 down linebackers). He may develop into an every down back but that doesn’t seem to be the case for this year. If he played as a third down linebacker or nickel LB who contributes on special teams, I would consider this a good pick.

Undrafted Free Agents

Here is a list of the players they signed after the draft:

Jakar Hamilton, S, South Carolina State

Dalton Williams, QB, Akron

Brandon Magee, LB, Arizona State

Kendial Lawrence, RB, Missouri

Devin Smith, CB, Wisconsin

Dustin Harris, CB, Texas A&M

Cameron Lawrence, LB, Mississippi State

Greg Herd, WR, Eastern Washington

Paul Freedman, FB/TE, Virginia

Taylor Reed, LB, SMU

Jeff Heath, DB, Saginaw Valley State

The Boys failed to address offensive line needs, only selecting one player between the draft and free agents. There is still some time for things to happen but it is not looking great in the trenches. Even if they believe they are solid along the defensive front with Ware, Hatcher, Ratliff, and Spencer they don’t have very good depth and did nothing to address that either. In comparison the Eagles and Giants each selected 4 linemen throughout the draft. The Redskins needed help in their secondary, they drafted 3 DBs. Overall, I think the Cowboys selected some very nice players and even got a few with very good value. However, they did very little to address significant areas of need.

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.

B.W. Webb will also make a difference on special teams as he was an impressive punt returner at William and Mary. He was the CAA Co-Special Teams Player of the Year his senior season. He should give the Cowboys another option on punt returns and allow Jerry Jones to get his wish of never seeing Dez Bryant returning kicks. If he can turn into a kick returner as well, he could settle a position of great turnover in Dallas.

There are mixed reviews on his tackling, some scouts have him as a willing open field tackler, others claim he is prone to a “business decision” from time to time.

Webb may also signal the end of Orlando Scandrick’s time in Dallas as Scandrick’s cap number is way too high for a nickle corner and Webb may be up to the task.

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.

Most scouts see Wilcox as a bit of a project though, questioning if he will be able to win a starting job right away.

The Cowboys needed 3 starters in their first 4 picks,they got one.

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.

The best thing about Williams is that he is a true vertical threat and may be able to finally replace Laurent Robinson to free agency.

The only issue with this pick, instead of fixing their offensive line issues the Cowboys seem content to find replacements for Jason Witten and Miles Austin.

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.

Escobar should find some role in the Cowboys offense, and may become a bit of a weapon in the red zone and when Witten stays in for max protection. Witten will of course remain the Cowboys top tight end.

This begs the question, with the Cowboys needing to get starters in this draft, why draft a position that you are this strong in?

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.

The knock on Frederick, he ran a 5.58 in his forty yard dash at the combine. Then he only put up 21 reps on the bench press.

Travis Frederick is the trademark combine casualty.  The guy did nothing but push people around and open holes at Wisconsin but after his poor time, scouts started to go back to his tape and try to tear him apart. When he got tripped up pulling around the tackle, he was unathletic, when he go beat the prior year at guard, he didn’t have the quickness to keep up with speed rushers. If the NFL combine didn’t exist, we would be thrilled with this pick.

The truth about Frederick is that either Phil Costa or Mackenzy Bernadeau will be out of a job because of him. He is a step in the right direction in getting the Cowboys of the leagues cellar in terms of running attacks. I have yet to see him have trouble getting to the second level while uncovered. He has the strength to stand up to nose tackles. This guys attributes solve a lot of problems for the interior of the Dallas offensive line.

How many times last season did the offensive line get beat by a stunt? How many times did a nose tackle create immediate pressure by running over Ryan Cook? How many times did Costa or Cook snap a ball over Tony Romo’s head or before he called for it? Travis Frederick is an upgrade in all of these areas.

The weakness of getting beat by speed rushing tackles. How many speed rushing nose tackles have you seen in this league?

Travis Frederick is a large, man moving, heady center. He will make 1st and 10 easier and 4th and 1 a whole lot easier.  Was he a value pick? No, but no center ever taken in the 1st round is. This draft was special though. 2 guards went in the top ten picks of this draft. 6 of the first 11 picks were offensive linemen. The value changed as the night went on.

As the draft started, we hoped for at least 2 starters on the offensive line, with 3 picks on the 2nd day of the draft and one in the fold, they have every opportunity to do that. If they do that, 3rd and 2 will be a whole lot easier for the Cowboys. Who knows, they might even score a few red zone touchdowns this season.