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Eatman: Pro Scouting Gets Benefit Of Doubt
Posted by nickeatman at 3/15/2012 5:21 PM CDT on dallascowboys.com
Laurent Robinson. Tony Fiammetta. Frank Walker and Sammy Morris.
Those four guys won’t be playing for the Cowboys in 2012. In fact, they weren’t playing for the Cowboys when the 2011 season got underway but were all signed at some point during the regular season.
They might be gone, but shouldn’t be forgotten.
And not just for what they did, but who brought them here. Be honest when you ask yourself if you had ever heard of any of those guys before the Cowboys signed them.
Personally, I knew of Walker and Morris but not the other two. Now, Robinson is one of the highest-paid free agents, signing a five-year, $32.5 million contract with the Jaguars. Obviously he would’ve been a good fit to return to the Cowboys, but they just couldn’t overspend on a player who has only had one good season.
You guys want Jerry Jones to be a better general manager but he’s a businessman as well, and that’s just too pricey for a No. 3 receiver.
My point isn’t about Robinson. It’s about the fact the pro scouting department had a pretty good year in 2011. Let’s see how they fare here in 2012.
While there might be few fans out there upset they didn’t go after a better guard and settled for a Mackenzy Bernadeau – who couldn’t be a household name with his mere 20 career starts in Carolina – maybe the Cowboys know something we don’t.
Guys like Brandon Carr and Lawrence Vickers and Dan Connor, even Brodney Pool, aren’t exactly big-time names the average NFL fan has heard of. Kyle Orton is, because he’s a quarterback, but he’s not exactly the most well-respected guy in the league.
Still, the Cowboys had a plan here in free agency and so far they’ve stuck to it. It’s clear they tried to address as many “needs” as possible to get into the draft with the “Best-Available” mindset.
These guys probably won’t put the Cowboys over the top, but might make them a better overall team from 1-53 on the roster. That’s something I’ve always thought this team lacked. Sure, they’ve been top heavy with star-studded talent but depth has been an issue. This group of players might be able to add that. And who knows, maybe they provide even more than that.
Don’t forget, the guy running the pro side of scouting is Judd Garrett, the brother of the head coach. It seems like he has a pretty good idea what Jason is looking for. And Will McClay, a former Arena League head coach here in Dallas, he’s done a great job evaluating the market and the talent available. Some people around Valley Ranch quietly think he’s the best personnel guy in the building. Either way, they’ve done well here of late.
So let’s at least give these guys the benefit of the doubt about the six players who have already signed here in the first three days of free agency.
Comments (46) | Permanent Link
Posted by nickeatman at 3/15/2012 5:21 PM CDT on dallascowboys.com
Laurent Robinson. Tony Fiammetta. Frank Walker and Sammy Morris.
Those four guys won’t be playing for the Cowboys in 2012. In fact, they weren’t playing for the Cowboys when the 2011 season got underway but were all signed at some point during the regular season.
They might be gone, but shouldn’t be forgotten.
And not just for what they did, but who brought them here. Be honest when you ask yourself if you had ever heard of any of those guys before the Cowboys signed them.
Personally, I knew of Walker and Morris but not the other two. Now, Robinson is one of the highest-paid free agents, signing a five-year, $32.5 million contract with the Jaguars. Obviously he would’ve been a good fit to return to the Cowboys, but they just couldn’t overspend on a player who has only had one good season.
You guys want Jerry Jones to be a better general manager but he’s a businessman as well, and that’s just too pricey for a No. 3 receiver.
My point isn’t about Robinson. It’s about the fact the pro scouting department had a pretty good year in 2011. Let’s see how they fare here in 2012.
While there might be few fans out there upset they didn’t go after a better guard and settled for a Mackenzy Bernadeau – who couldn’t be a household name with his mere 20 career starts in Carolina – maybe the Cowboys know something we don’t.
Guys like Brandon Carr and Lawrence Vickers and Dan Connor, even Brodney Pool, aren’t exactly big-time names the average NFL fan has heard of. Kyle Orton is, because he’s a quarterback, but he’s not exactly the most well-respected guy in the league.
Still, the Cowboys had a plan here in free agency and so far they’ve stuck to it. It’s clear they tried to address as many “needs” as possible to get into the draft with the “Best-Available” mindset.
These guys probably won’t put the Cowboys over the top, but might make them a better overall team from 1-53 on the roster. That’s something I’ve always thought this team lacked. Sure, they’ve been top heavy with star-studded talent but depth has been an issue. This group of players might be able to add that. And who knows, maybe they provide even more than that.
Don’t forget, the guy running the pro side of scouting is Judd Garrett, the brother of the head coach. It seems like he has a pretty good idea what Jason is looking for. And Will McClay, a former Arena League head coach here in Dallas, he’s done a great job evaluating the market and the talent available. Some people around Valley Ranch quietly think he’s the best personnel guy in the building. Either way, they’ve done well here of late.
So let’s at least give these guys the benefit of the doubt about the six players who have already signed here in the first three days of free agency.
Comments (46) | Permanent Link