dbair1967

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onlyonenow

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On another note, have any of the Bob McGinn articles been posted yet? Love those because he has quotes from actual scouts, and they're brutally honest. The draft is getting so hyped, more and more every year, that it's refreshing to hear some negatives on these guys. If it hasn't been posted I'll put something up.

the problem with quoting anonymous scouts is you do not know if they are any good.
 

NoShame

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Coleman I really think might be overrated. I don't buy into "system players" too much, but I think Coleman might be one. He got a ton of one on ones in wide open field in Briles' system, and yes, he usually won. But while he's athletic, he's not in the freaky category, and he's not big at all.

I think Doctson is the real deal, though.

Coleman definitely has skill but I agree I worry what they say is true about Briles' system and its WRs only running a few routes. But my bigger concern is he dropped a few easy ones in the games I watched, right in the hands.

I think he's very explosive, has good awareness of the football in the air, he's definitely a deep threat and a threat once the ball gets in his hands. Made a few DBs look foolish trying to tackle him. I think he'll definitely go in the first but not sure I'd take him there (maybe late), the drops bother me a bit too much but I'd definitely take him top of the 2nd.

As far as Doctson, I know he's been getting a lot of hype lately but I think he's the best WR in this draft. Doesn't appear to be as explosive as Coleman or as dangerous after the catch but is the better complete WR IMO. 3 things I like most about Doctson, 1. Love his effort on his blocking 2. Very good at working the sideline 3. Appeared to have all of Boykin's trust, several times Boykin just throwing it up to him and Doctson bailing him out. I disagree with CBS sports line's write up on him in that I felt Doctson was more than willing to go across the middle of the field without fear.

A guy I'm really rooting for and could be a good 4th rounder is Leonte Carroo from Rutgers. Has some off the field issues and isn't the most explosive WR but he's a hell of a football player. I think with a really good QB and a number 1 WR on the opposite side, Carroo could be a very solid number 2.
 

MrB

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If all of the rumors about the Cowboys trading with the Rams and ending up with the 15th pick and the Rams two 2nd rounders then Treadwell or Doctson could be in play at 15. Lynch, and Shaq Lawson could also be in play.
 

Iamtdg

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I like him. Only problem he has had is staying healthy but the kid has tremendous talent.

Coming out of high school he was actually the more highly regarded RB recruit at UGA between him and Gurley.

I'd love to add him on day three.

I am pretty sure CMD likes Mr Marshall for us too.

Feh. I'd rather have DeAndre Washington.

RAIDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

ThoughtExperiment

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As far as Doctson, I know he's been getting a lot of hype lately but I think he's the best WR in this draft. Doesn't appear to be as explosive as Coleman or as dangerous after the catch but is the better complete WR IMO. 3 things I like most about Doctson, 1. Love his effort on his blocking 2. Very good at working the sideline 3. Appeared to have all of Boykin's trust, several times Boykin just throwing it up to him and Doctson bailing him out. I disagree with CBS sports line's write up on him in that I felt Doctson was more than willing to go across the middle of the field without fear.
That's definitely part of it for me, too. Coleman always seems to catch everything outside with little traffic. But I've seen Doctson catch passes over the middle as he's about to get hit and he still comes down with the ball. I didn't see the CBS report, but that's very surprising they'd claim he doesn't want to go across the middle. Not saying he's Michael Irvin in that regard but he's not scared to do it.
 

cmd34

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cmd. Thoughts on WVU S Karl Joseph?

Big fan. 34 is a tad too early, 67 is probably too late to get him.

He reminds me of a more athletic Roy Williams. He' short, compact, and just flies all over the place. Some people think he's a poor man's Earl Thomas.
 

cmd34

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Feh. I'd rather have DeAndre Washington.

RAIDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I won't even pretend to pimp a Trojan RB. Tre Madden is solid but can't stay healthy ever. Plus, he'll be 23 when the season starts.
 

Bob Sacamano

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Big fan. 34 is a tad too early, 67 is probably too late to get him.

He reminds me of a more athletic Roy Williams. He' short, compact, and just flies all over the place. Some people think he's a poor man's Earl Thomas.

I got a TJ Ward vibe from him.
 

cmd34

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Watching Michigan's spring game..they are doing some interesting thing with Jabrill Peppers. Similar to how Florida State used Jalen Ramsey.

#2017DraftIsOnly13MonthsAway
 

dbair1967

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I bet this will be the first Spags article in probably a decade that CMD likes. Hell he might have written it for Spags.



Spagnola: Cowboys Thoroughly Eying This Catalytic Possibility At No. 4

Friday, April 01, 2016 6:30 PM CDT
By Mickey Spagnola
DallasCowboys.com Columnist

IRVING, Texas – Brother, we’ve been talkin’ the 2016 NFL Draft since, what, at the latest Dec. 19, 2015, when the Cowboys finally, almost mercifully, were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.

Shoot, a lot of that talk began as early as Thanksgiving when Tony Romo’s collarbone went kaput for the second and final time during that 2015 season, officially the third worst 16-game season record in club history.

And finally, after all this time, after all this talk, the draft his nigh upon us. Instead of four months away, now it’s just four weeks away, and the proverbial question hasn’t changed one bit:

Who do you think the Cowboys will take with the fourth pick in the draft?

All this time, all these projections, all these opinions, all these mocks changing faster than the worth of the U.S. dollar in Canada, and really, we still don’t know. Not sure they even know since the big board has yet to be compiled, and certainly Tennessee, Cleveland and San Diego have yet to tip their hands, a huge factor at No. 4.

A quarterback? A defensive end? A cornerback? A running back? A defensive tackle? A linebacker? A wide receiver?

Any and all are in play. My guess is about the only position we can rule out with some certainty is tight end and probably offensive line since that would really be overkill if you were to use your first-round pick on an offensive lineman for the fourth time in six years, considering how fortuitously they added first-round talent La’el Collins in rookie free agency last year.

But the more I read, the more I listen, the more I dig, the more I can’t get this kind of guy out of my mind, the lone caveat being, if he’s there:

“He combines size and physicality with tremendous skill and speed. And he has a relentless competitive nature about himself. It’s like a linebacker’s mentality, but he can do it with a skilled body – it’s very unique.”

Or there has been this:

“Not only are you going to get a great player on the field and a great competitor, you’re going to have a guy who is going to influence the other guys on the team by the way he competes and goes about his business.”

Or this:

“He’s got great length, he’s got world class speed. Even when he gets beat off the line of scrimmage in press coverage, it’s amazing to see his catch-up speed. It’s like beep, beep, and he’s there.”

And love hearing him say this about himself after this week’s Pro Day workout:

“Today I took it as another opportunity to show I’m the best defensive back and player in this year’s draft.”

By now, as if we were playing What’s My Line?, you would have beeped in with:

Jalen Ramsey, defensive back, Florida State.

Probably don’t need to remind Cowboys owner Jerry Jones of this term he liked to use several drafts ago, maybe ’bout the time the Cowboys used a first round pick on Dez Bryant in 2010 or possibly back in 2005 when the first of two first-round picks was used on DeMarcus Ware:

Catalytic player.

Remember?

Technically the word means causing, involving or relating to catalysis. To me, it means someone with immense enough talent to change the outcome of games; someone who is a catalyst to winning; someone with the solo knack to make that play the Cowboys invariably couldn’t this past season to save their lives.

Think about that: Who on this team besides Tony Romo, Dez Bryant or possibly Sean Lean and Dan Bailey consistently has demonstrated such solo characteristics? Come on now … yeah, that’s what I thought.

Well to me, with the fourth pick in this draft, the highest position the Cowboys have unceremoniously earned since selecting Troy Aikman with the first pick in the 1989 draft (or using what would have been the first pick in the 1990 draft on Steve Walsh in the ’89 supplemental draft), I want a dynamic player, a guy with unique talents, someone who creates lightning on the field such as some of these previous fourth picks over the past several decades:

Amari Cooper, A.J. Green, Philip Rivers, Justin Smith, Edgerrin James, Charles Woodson, Jonathan Ogden, Willie McGinest, Derrick Thomas, Chris Doleman, Reggie White, John Hannah, Joe Greene.

Get my drift.

Sort of what the aforementioned quotes suggest, the first two from his Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher at Pro Day this week, the third from draft guru Mike Mayock on the scene, and of course the final one what Ramsey said of himself after his workout, along with this one when asked what position does he think he’s best suited for in the NFL, cornerback or safety, having played both for the ’Noles:

“Anywhere a team needs me, honestly. I play corner, I play safety, I play nickel. I’d love to play corner, but I’m versatile, so any team that wants to put me wherever can put me there immediately. I’m a ballhawk, you can’t deny that.”

Can’t deny the kid lacks confidence, either, but that’s what I want in my corner, a guy with a little vinegar in his veins. Now, he doesn’t have to be as brash as Deion Sanders (what do they feed these guys in Tallahassee?), reaching over the line of scrimmage to slap the receiver’s hands before the first play of the game to remind him this is going to be an all-day sucker.

Yeah, I want him to say he’s the best player in the draft, though for my selfish reasons, hope those Tennessee folks are rolling their eyes.

The Cowboys, they aren’t rolling their eyes. They are raising their eyebrows. They, too, understand what I’m talking about and, as this was being written on Friday, the Cowboys, including head coach Jason Garrett, were in Tallahassee for a one-on-one meeting with one Jalen Ramsey.

“Impressive” was the word Garrett used a time or three when we bumped into each other late Friday afternoon at The Ranch.

I knew Ramsey was 6-1, 209, and has run the 40-yard dash between 4.27 seconds and 4.47, factoring to his 4.41 combine time. I see where he has a 41½” vertical and an 11’3” standing long jump, and had heard he’s the first true Florida State freshman to start at corner since Sanders (1985).

Now here’s what really intrigues me:

This kid won the Tennessee state high school decathlon title. He set the state record in the long jump at 23’3¼”. He ran a 10.5-second time in the 100-yard dash, 21.44 in the 200 and 48.02 in the 400, that last one right there saying something about his competitive nature. Sprinters and jumpers hate the 400. No one volunteers to run the 400, maybe the toughest event in track and field. And if you don’t think so, try running all out once around. Call me if you don’t fall out first.

Oh, that’s not all. He had a 6’8” high jump, a 47’7” triple jump and a – now get this –49’11” shot put.

And even at Florida State, too. Why, he participated in track more as a hobby, something to keep him in shape for football. Ramsey in 2015 won the ACC Indoor and Outdoor long jump titles and ran a 39.28 first leg on FSU’s championship 4x100 relay team. At the NCAA Indoors, his 26’1¾” got him fourth in the nation and was just inches short of qualifying to compete in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials this summer.

Some kind of athlete, though he ain’t going to Rio.

So yeah, don’t roll your eyes over Jimbo’s observations of Ramsey during various interviews on Pro Day, thinking he’s just biased, tooting his own kid’s horn. This kid is a head-turner.

“I think the uniqueness of the game today, which is such a spread game, he can play corner, he can play safety, he can play nickel – he can cover all the different people in the secondary, whether it’s a tight end, a little receiver or a big receiver, and he brings a uniqueness to the game,” Fisher has been quoted as saying.

Gosh, and he’s only 21.

So on this April Fools’ Day, who knows if I’m being foolish? Who knows if Ramsey will even be available at No. 4? And if he is, would the Cowboys even take him, depending on who else is left? They should get there within the next two to three weeks, I’d imagine. Can’t leave those decisions to 10 minutes on the clock.

But wherever they go, you should want a potentially great player, the caliber of Aikman or Irvin or Emmitt or Ware. Not merely a nice player. Not just a guy who’ll be a good player for several years. Think eventual Hall of Famer.

Think catalytic, no matter what position he plays.
 

dbair1967

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Mosley with a couple of draft tidbits, including name dropping a guy not many have discussed. Because of his track record with Cowboys draft picks, I definitely pay attention.

Question: With Morris now in the backfield, a healthy Romo, Dez & Scandrick, and 9 new draft picks coming in, do you think the Cowboys will rebound as playoff contenders in 2016?

Matt Mosley: In this division, you bet. I hope this team has learned a lesson, though, about trying to create more depth. That passing game was pretty ugly without Romo and Dez. I'd like to see another WR in here in the draft. How about another deep threat. This Will Fuller out of Notre Dame is a burner. This team needs more help at CB. That needs to happen. Look for a man named Artie in the second round.
(He's talking about Miami CB Artie Burns, a kind of under the radar guy but seems like a consensus 2nd rd pick by the draft pundits)

Question: What position do you think isn't getting enough attention in all the draft talk?

Matt Mosley: I think you always need to talk more about DT. I don't think Thornton or even the Raiders guy is enough. You need to find another talented DT in the draft. In fact, the scouts I've talked to are spending a ton of time in that area. The Cowboys have just gotten by with Nick Hayden. You need some depth in there with Crawford. He didn't really meet expectations last year after getting the nice contract
 

dbair1967

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Info on Burns from Rob Rang:

Player Overview
Former track star who ran the 100 in 7.68 seconds to break a 38-year-old record, and won three state titles in hurdles, Burns is not the typical track guy making the transition to the football field. Speed doesn't hurt at this position naturally, and he led the ACC in interceptions (six).

He's heading to the NFL early after losing his mother, Dana Smith, to a heart attack in October and taking over custody of his two brothers while raising his own son, because his father is incarcerated.

Don't let Burns' track background fool you, he's a legitimate NFL prospect with the upside to warrant early-round consideration and clear determination to succeed. He's at his best in press man coverage, using his length, aggression and speed to harass wideouts on the perimeter and has the ball skills to punish quarterbacks who challenge him.

STRENGTHS: Looks the part of an NFL cornerback with broad shoulders, long arms and a tapered, well-developed frame. Offers an exciting combination of size, temperament and overall athleticism, including excellent straight-line speed, which has helped him star on the gridiron as well as the track for the Hurricanes. He broke a 38-year-old American record (amongst athletes under the age of 21) with a time of 7.68 seconds in the 60-yard hurdles in 2014 and was a three-time Florida state 3A 110 hurdle champion.

Burns is far from just a track athlete, however. While perhaps not as physical as scouts would prefer, he's a competitive defender who was asked to play inside at safety, at times, by the Hurricanes. He flashes savvy and body control to slip by would-be blockers in run support and on blitzes off the edge. He extends his arms to get a physical jam on receivers at the line of scrimmage but isn't reliant on it, showing the agility to turn and run with receivers downfield, as well.

Burns possesses the body control and sticky hands to snatch passes outside of his frame and possesses impressive ball skills, overall. He is an effective open-field tackler, tripping up ballcarriers with his length and showing good awareness to rip at the ball when assisting.

WEAKNESSES: Isn't yet the sum of his parts. Overly reliant on his physical tools, at this point, allowing savvy route-runners to gain inside position on him and losing track of the ball. Prefers to latch onto and drag ball-carriers to the ground rather than lowering his shoulder and exploding into opponents and looks to avoid oncoming blockers.
IN OUR VIEW: Don't let Burns' track background fool you, he's a legitimate NFL prospect with the upside to warrant early-round consideration. He's at his best in press man coverage where he can use his length, aggression and speed to harass wideouts on the perimeter and has the ball skills to punish quarterbacks who challenge him.

COMPARES TO: Darius Slay, Detroit Lions: A fluid athlete with agility, speed and ball-skills, Slay has developed into a standout for the Lions after being selected 36th overall selection in the 2013 draft. Burns has this kind of potential but like Slay, may need a year or two to acclimate, especially when it comes to run support.
 
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