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Thought they were deciding between Jammer and Roy Williams before the draft, and Jammer went before we picked anyway

Jammer and Buchannon as far as rating cornerbacks.

I remember reading that when the magazine came out. Re-reading it years later on these forums and its sad.

I'll see if I can find it...
 
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http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/peter_king/news/2002/04/26/king_insider/


Keeping up with Jones

Cowboys owner was a surprisingly strong draft presence
Posted: Friday April 26, 2002 1:49 PM

I covered the Dallas Cowboys' draft last weekend and was granted unprecedented access to the scouting process beforehand -- sitting in on the scouts' and coaches' player evaluation meetings -- and the draft-day doings themselves. Only once in my 13 years at Sports Illustrated have I been more "inside" a story, back when I had full access to everything during a Packers' game week in 1995.

Since my time in Dallas, people have asked me, What did you see that surprised you the most? My answer: a competent Jerry Jones. Going into the story, I considered Jones an impetuous star-chaser who wouldn't always do the best thing for his team. Drafting iffy quarterback Quincy Carter last year instead of defensive rookie of the year Kendrell Bell. Or trading two first-round picks for wideout Joey Galloway. I might have traded one. Might have. But you don't see teams trading two No. 1s for a franchise quarterback these days, never mind a declining wideout.

And Jones still has some of that in him. But he proved to me that he gets it early in the second round, when the Cowboys were sitting there with the 37th overall pick. They had a choice between the 19th-rated player on their board, Pitt wideout Antonio Bryant, and the 28th player on their board, Colorado guard/center Andre Gurode. The debate in the room was feisty. Gurode would fill a position of need, and if he was any good, he'd probably be a starter by the end of the 2002 season. Bryant was a luxury; though Dallas needs a long-term receiver, the team was OK for the next year or so, and Bryant would likely be, at best, a third receiver this year behind Galloway and Rocket Ismail. And there were pockmarks from some in-the-know people who knew Bryant well and whom the Dallas scouts and coaches had contacted. There was a chance he might be a problem child, a me-first guy. Truthfully, the Cowboys viewed Bryant as the next Michael Irvin, a cocky guy who could go on to have a great NFL career. But there was that hole on the offensive line to think of. "It's just smarter to go with Gurode," Jones said, and that was it. As luck would have it, Dallas picked Bryant with its second pick in the second round, No. 63 overall.

It was also interesting to watch Jones work the phones. The Giants called to offer tight end Dan Campbell for a fourth-round pick, but before getting to the substance of the call, Jones said, "I'm doing just fine. Fine! And how are you doing? ... Right ... Let me tell you, you got yourselves a great player in that Jeremy Shockey. We really liked him." And when Jones was on the clock in the first round, trying to trade down, he unearthed some unexpected inside information from the Vikings. He learned that Minnesota wasn't going to take the player Dallas wanted, Roy Williams, with the next pick, which allowed the Cowboys to deal down two spots with Kansas City. As time with the Chiefs got short, there were high-pitched, nervous voices in the draft room about submitting the trade before they'd have to pass on the pick. Jones never flinched. Must be all those years of practice making oil and gas deals.

Jones ran the meetings, and the draft, as if he were some combination of shrink and traffic cop. He sucked in all the information, looked at the alternatives and made decisions. He has quality scouts. I still think he needs that Ron Wolf-type guy, the ultimate confidant he doesn't seem to have in the room right now. Maybe it'll turn out to be assistant director of college scouting Tom Ciskowski, a worker bee Jones rightfully likes. But if he can't find it on staff, he should find it elsewhere.

Jones chafes when Jimmy Johnson gets all the credit for what happened in the first five years of his ownership reign. He might have a point, though we all know the key to the Cowboys' greatness a decade ago was Jimmy picking and coaching and Jerry paying and managing. And what Jones told me is right: He'll probably never win executive of the year, even if the Dallas draft is perfect one of these years. But judging from a five- or six-day view into the inner workings of this franchise, this is not a team flying by the seat of Jones' Brooks Brothers pants. He's learned enough that the Cowboys might actually get dangerous again this year. Or next.
 
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I'm bummed bc claireborne never LOOKED special and they sold their soul for him and really
Blew it . There's been a handful of monster players taken in the top
11 and they whiffed totally

PS he never plays
 

Jon88

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He sucks. There's no getting around it and I don't care what dbair the forum cheerleader says.

The guy fucking sucks, he's dumb as a brick, and he can't stay on the field. God damn it everytime I talk about him I get angry.
 

Sheik

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Has anyone even seen this ciskowski?

Are we sure he isn't an alter ego for Jerry? Maybe Jerry puts on a wig and those glasses with the fake nose attached and starts coloring the draft board with crayons?
 

dbair1967

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We gave up two picks for this dumb son of a bitch who can't even stay on the field and when he is on the field he isn't very good.

Fuck our stupid motherfucking GM.

I just cant believe you don't have faith in the process.
 

LAZARUS_LOGAN

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I'm bummed bc claireborne never LOOKED special and they sold their soul for him and really
Blew it . There's been a handful of monster players taken in the top
11 and they whiffed totally

PS he never plays


I also was against the pick. I'm a firm believer of NOT drafting CBs in the 1st round and really no rounds before the 3rd. I've come to realize that CB are the most overrated, overhyped, and overpaid position on defense. If you have an excellent front seven, and very good safeties, you can get by with average CBs.
 

LAZARUS_LOGAN

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Reid was a good player at LSU and appears to have a bright future for SF. Claiborne will be a good player here too.

I wanted Reid. A good draft would have been if we had gotten Reid, then either Frederics or Warford.
 

LAZARUS_LOGAN

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dude, everybody in the fucking league ahd Clairborne rated as a very high pick



dbair is correct on this. In fact, most mocks had the Redskins --- who had the #6 pick before moving up for Robert, as taking Claiborne. That doesn't mean shit to me though. He was not then and certainly not now worth the #6 overall pick.

I think many mocks were on Claiborne because of Patrick Peterson.
 
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Sheik

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I wouldn't really care if Claiborne was rated 6th, and we had the 6th pick.

I wonder how many teams had him rated as being worthy of two 1st round ricks? That is unforgivable.

I tried to like the pick when it happened, but it's clear the guy isn't very good. Definitely not worth a second contract. And the worst part is the front office burned up precious cap dollars on a very average Brandon Carr.

At least Carr is out there getting abused consistently. Claiborne always has a fucking owie.
 

Jon88

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We actually gave up a 2nd for Claiborne and traded 1sts with St. Louis. He cost us a 2nd rounder and extra money we're spending paying a 6th overall pick.

I love all of those excuses Jones is coddling him with.
 

LAZARUS_LOGAN

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I wouldn't really care if Claiborne was rated 6th, and we had the 6th pick.

I wonder how many teams had him rated as being worthy of two 1st round ricks? That is unforgivable.

I tried to like the pick when it happened, but it's clear the guy isn't very good. Definitely not worth a second contract. And the worst part is the front office burned up precious cap dollars on a very average Brandon Carr.


At least Carr is out there getting abused consistently. Claiborne always has a fucking owie.

You don't draft CBs in the 1st round and certainly not to the tune of giving up two draft picks. And you don't pay a CB a $51 million contract where he is guaranteed half of it, when he has done nothing to warrant it. The Chiefs let him walk, and they end up in the playoffs.
 
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