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Cowboys Mailbag:
If the best player available at No. 14 is a tackle, should the Cowboys draft him, even though they got Tyron Smith last year.
Editor's Note: Each weekday, DallasCowboys.com's writers will field two questions from the fans.
Chris Ewoldt - Hull, IA: If the best player available at No. 14 is a tackle, should the Cowboys draft him, even though they got Tyron Smith last year. After signing that big contract, Doug Free seemed to take a step backward.
Nick: No, you can't have every position on the team exactly perfect. There are some spots you just have to live with. Maybe Free took a step backward, or maybe our expectations soared higher than they should've. I think we should wait and see what happens with the switch – moving Free to right tackle and Smith over to the left. After a year of that, if Free hasn't performed well, then maybe you consider making more changes. But let's not forget, he signed a four-year deal and is being paid about $8 million annually. It's too early to cut ties.
Josh: I think it's too soon to give up on Free just yet. He has to be moved to the right side, though, because the job of left tackle was obviously too much for him last year, as defensive ends and outside linebackers simply figured him out. On the right side, he'll face lesser pass rushers more often than he has over the last couple years. His contract may not ever seem like a bargain, but the ink is basically still drying on that thing, and it would be disastrous for the salary cap to let him go. The idea of moving him to guard has been thrown out there, but I just don't think he's powerful enough. So no, I don't think the Cowboys would go after a tackle the first two days of the draft.
Scott Edwards - McAllen, TX: If the Cowboys sign Carl Nicks, the guard from New Orleans, or Ben Grubbs from Baltimore, do you think they would spend any picks on a guard in the first two days of the draft?
Nick: Yes, I think you'd be done with the guard position in the draft, unless of course, you get to the middle rounds and there is someone still around that you have a high grade on. That's the way it goes for any position. But if you get a big-time veteran guard in free agency, I can't imagine a middle-round guard being much different than what you have in Nagy, Arkin and Kowalski. Those guys need to develop as well.
Josh: It just depends what else they get done in free agency and who else is on the board when they're picking. I'm changing my mind a little bit on the idea of picking a guard at No. 14. If they fall in love with this David DeCastro, then why not take him and play him along with Nicks or Grubbs, giving them a couple of guys to anchor the line for years to come. Obviously there are a ton of needs all over the map. There are very few positions that would be total head-scratchers.
If the best player available at No. 14 is a tackle, should the Cowboys draft him, even though they got Tyron Smith last year.
Editor's Note: Each weekday, DallasCowboys.com's writers will field two questions from the fans.
Chris Ewoldt - Hull, IA: If the best player available at No. 14 is a tackle, should the Cowboys draft him, even though they got Tyron Smith last year. After signing that big contract, Doug Free seemed to take a step backward.
Nick: No, you can't have every position on the team exactly perfect. There are some spots you just have to live with. Maybe Free took a step backward, or maybe our expectations soared higher than they should've. I think we should wait and see what happens with the switch – moving Free to right tackle and Smith over to the left. After a year of that, if Free hasn't performed well, then maybe you consider making more changes. But let's not forget, he signed a four-year deal and is being paid about $8 million annually. It's too early to cut ties.
Josh: I think it's too soon to give up on Free just yet. He has to be moved to the right side, though, because the job of left tackle was obviously too much for him last year, as defensive ends and outside linebackers simply figured him out. On the right side, he'll face lesser pass rushers more often than he has over the last couple years. His contract may not ever seem like a bargain, but the ink is basically still drying on that thing, and it would be disastrous for the salary cap to let him go. The idea of moving him to guard has been thrown out there, but I just don't think he's powerful enough. So no, I don't think the Cowboys would go after a tackle the first two days of the draft.
Scott Edwards - McAllen, TX: If the Cowboys sign Carl Nicks, the guard from New Orleans, or Ben Grubbs from Baltimore, do you think they would spend any picks on a guard in the first two days of the draft?
Nick: Yes, I think you'd be done with the guard position in the draft, unless of course, you get to the middle rounds and there is someone still around that you have a high grade on. That's the way it goes for any position. But if you get a big-time veteran guard in free agency, I can't imagine a middle-round guard being much different than what you have in Nagy, Arkin and Kowalski. Those guys need to develop as well.
Josh: It just depends what else they get done in free agency and who else is on the board when they're picking. I'm changing my mind a little bit on the idea of picking a guard at No. 14. If they fall in love with this David DeCastro, then why not take him and play him along with Nicks or Grubbs, giving them a couple of guys to anchor the line for years to come. Obviously there are a ton of needs all over the map. There are very few positions that would be total head-scratchers.