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By Jan Hubbard
jhubbard@star-telegram.com
MOBILE, Ala. -- In the NFL world, the Senior Bowl is comparable to your basic Junior Prom. It can be a meaningful exercise for both parties, particularly if it leads to something lasting.
But it's very early and so much changes by the time the process is complete. Suitors are careful not to overreact at this stage, especially since some of the best-looking talent is missing.
The player the Dallas Cowboys will select with the No. 9 pick in the first round of the NFL Draft in April -- which, remember, is three months away -- is probably not here. That's because the Senior Bowl -- as the astute fan probably has deduced -- invites only seniors. Between 15 and 20 underclassmen are projected to go in the first round.
But the Cowboys' second-round pick, No. 41 overall, is important. So are players who will be taken in rounds three, four five, etc. Those players might be here.
This week was also the first time that new head coach Jason Garrett and returning members of the Cowboys' coaching staff could interact at an event with new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. Together, the coaches sat in stands, observed drills and limited scrimmages and scribbled notes.
But Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said the real work will begin when the staff returns to Dallas and studies tapes of the workouts and the game, which will be played here at 3 p.m. Saturday.
Jones said the value of the Senior Bowl practices is that the staff can "get a feel for the whole team concept, looking at it individually and how they're competing with competition that you can measure, too. I like to see how they're adapting to professional coaching and professional concepts.
"And so it is good for me just to see these players in the broad concept of the whole field, the team," Jones said. "I get to see how they're operating, the energy, the speed, how they're practicing with the speed of the overall group. We will obviously have tape of every player. Everything they do out here, we'll have it and analyze it ad nauseam before we're through in the next few months. But this experience is one that I wouldn't want to miss because it gives you the 'whole picture' context."
Cowboys fans hoping to get a big picture look at the new coaching staff were denied that opportunity. Garrett had one 20-minute session with media that regularly covers the team, but then said that he would not allow assistants to be interviewed.
There is acute local interest in the hiring of Ryan, son of Buddy, brother of Rex, and a defensive specialist who is supposed to cure the Cowboys' defensive Achilles heel. Garrett said Ryan would talk sometime in the future when four more assistants are hired, but he must have had a miscommunication with Ryan because Ryan agreed to be interviewed for an article in the San Francisco Chronicle.
When approached by media from this area, however, Ryan never broke stride and actually seemed to walk a little faster while talking over his shoulder and saying he would talk later.
It was a weird sort of behavior, but perhaps it is the result of a rookie head coach trying to feel his way and figuring the best way to do it is by attempting to project toughness. Frankly, the idea that veteran assistants such as Dave Campo, Skip Peete or Hudson Houck are either not smart enough or can't be trusted to speak publicly is, to be kind, silly.
It's not original. Other coaches have not had the confidence in assistants to allow them to talk. But the idea that such a policy will turn into victories or a championship is misguided. And, as the Ryan interview in San Francisco demonstrates, silly rules lead to innocent mistakes.
Senior Bowl week, however, is primarily about not making mistakes in the draft. It will have little, if any, effect on the top of the draft. The players projected in various mock drafts to go first -- defensive linemen Nick Fairley of Auburn and DaQuan Bowers of Clemson -- are not here because they are juniors.
The top cornerback, quarterback, wide receiver -- Patrick Peterson of LSU, Blaine Gabbert of Missouri and A.J. Green of Georgia -- are also juniors. Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton of Auburn is a junior. None are here.
And some players -- including Nebraska cornerback Prince Amukamara, who would be a logical pick if he's available when the Cowboys draft at No. 9 -- are seniors but are not here. Amukamara did not accept an invitation, perhaps figuring all he could do would be hurt his draft status.
This week, however, was the equivalent of a first dance. The Cowboys might have had good first impressions of players -- although we can only guess how Ryan and the assistants feel -- but they are a long way from making a commitment.
jhubbard@star-telegram.com
MOBILE, Ala. -- In the NFL world, the Senior Bowl is comparable to your basic Junior Prom. It can be a meaningful exercise for both parties, particularly if it leads to something lasting.
But it's very early and so much changes by the time the process is complete. Suitors are careful not to overreact at this stage, especially since some of the best-looking talent is missing.
The player the Dallas Cowboys will select with the No. 9 pick in the first round of the NFL Draft in April -- which, remember, is three months away -- is probably not here. That's because the Senior Bowl -- as the astute fan probably has deduced -- invites only seniors. Between 15 and 20 underclassmen are projected to go in the first round.
But the Cowboys' second-round pick, No. 41 overall, is important. So are players who will be taken in rounds three, four five, etc. Those players might be here.
This week was also the first time that new head coach Jason Garrett and returning members of the Cowboys' coaching staff could interact at an event with new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. Together, the coaches sat in stands, observed drills and limited scrimmages and scribbled notes.
But Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said the real work will begin when the staff returns to Dallas and studies tapes of the workouts and the game, which will be played here at 3 p.m. Saturday.
Jones said the value of the Senior Bowl practices is that the staff can "get a feel for the whole team concept, looking at it individually and how they're competing with competition that you can measure, too. I like to see how they're adapting to professional coaching and professional concepts.
"And so it is good for me just to see these players in the broad concept of the whole field, the team," Jones said. "I get to see how they're operating, the energy, the speed, how they're practicing with the speed of the overall group. We will obviously have tape of every player. Everything they do out here, we'll have it and analyze it ad nauseam before we're through in the next few months. But this experience is one that I wouldn't want to miss because it gives you the 'whole picture' context."
Cowboys fans hoping to get a big picture look at the new coaching staff were denied that opportunity. Garrett had one 20-minute session with media that regularly covers the team, but then said that he would not allow assistants to be interviewed.
There is acute local interest in the hiring of Ryan, son of Buddy, brother of Rex, and a defensive specialist who is supposed to cure the Cowboys' defensive Achilles heel. Garrett said Ryan would talk sometime in the future when four more assistants are hired, but he must have had a miscommunication with Ryan because Ryan agreed to be interviewed for an article in the San Francisco Chronicle.
When approached by media from this area, however, Ryan never broke stride and actually seemed to walk a little faster while talking over his shoulder and saying he would talk later.
It was a weird sort of behavior, but perhaps it is the result of a rookie head coach trying to feel his way and figuring the best way to do it is by attempting to project toughness. Frankly, the idea that veteran assistants such as Dave Campo, Skip Peete or Hudson Houck are either not smart enough or can't be trusted to speak publicly is, to be kind, silly.
It's not original. Other coaches have not had the confidence in assistants to allow them to talk. But the idea that such a policy will turn into victories or a championship is misguided. And, as the Ryan interview in San Francisco demonstrates, silly rules lead to innocent mistakes.
Senior Bowl week, however, is primarily about not making mistakes in the draft. It will have little, if any, effect on the top of the draft. The players projected in various mock drafts to go first -- defensive linemen Nick Fairley of Auburn and DaQuan Bowers of Clemson -- are not here because they are juniors.
The top cornerback, quarterback, wide receiver -- Patrick Peterson of LSU, Blaine Gabbert of Missouri and A.J. Green of Georgia -- are also juniors. Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton of Auburn is a junior. None are here.
And some players -- including Nebraska cornerback Prince Amukamara, who would be a logical pick if he's available when the Cowboys draft at No. 9 -- are seniors but are not here. Amukamara did not accept an invitation, perhaps figuring all he could do would be hurt his draft status.
This week, however, was the equivalent of a first dance. The Cowboys might have had good first impressions of players -- although we can only guess how Ryan and the assistants feel -- but they are a long way from making a commitment.
