QB or not QB? Now that's one question
By Randy Galloway
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
The NFL's meat market for college players opens today in Indianapolis, and apparently the scouting combine is considered of ultimate importance at Valley Ranch.
Even Big Bill is said to be coming out of self-imposed hibernation to make the trip.
For the record, Parcells skipped Indy in 2004, and the Cowboys ended up using valuable first day draft picks on such worthless items as Jacob Rogers and Stephen Peterman.
Continuing to connect the dots, Big Bill returned to the scouting combine last February, and that '05 draft class was very good, or borderline great.
There's also a case to be made that then-newly hired scouting director Jeff Ireland impacted last year's draft.
But since Jerry Jones gives Parcells full authority to "buy the groceries and cook the meal," then Bill gets the credit or the blame. See Rogers. See Peterman.
In the Not-Breaking-News Dept., the Cowboys desperately need another impact draft in two months.
Parcells, with his new contractual riches, must agree if he's showing up in Indy this week. This comes after he skipped an earlier important function for draft evaluation.
Big Bill sat on his wallet in Irving during the Senior Bowl workouts.
Was said to be too busy with coaching staff changes.
Seems like he could have done both in Mobile, Ala. Make coaching hires and scout talent.
But enough of me being picky.
Let's get down to some real early off-season issues for the Cowboys:
Granted, the national mock drafts that are currently popping up on the geek wire are a tad premature.
It's a long, long way yet to late April.
But most of this guesswork has the Cowboys taking a safety with the 18th pick in the first round.
No, and no.
Well, not unless a safety is absolutely the best player available at the spot. And if he is, the Cowboys will consider trading down, maybe even up.
Safety is a need. But not as a first-round pick.
Use some hindsight. Go back to 2002. Was even Roy Williams, a can't-miss at the time, worth the eighth pick in the first round?
I tend to say he was not. Not that high. But it's a good debate.
In general, it's best not to take a safety -- ever -- in the first round.
That was me laughing at the Tuesday story out of Valley Ranch.
Jacob Rogers is being invited back for a May mini-camp.
Last August at training camp in Oxnard, Rogers was being dog-cussed privately by basically everyone connected to the Cowboys.
Publicly, Mr. Jones hinted at, but stopped short, of calling him gutless.
This was in a Jones statement that the team was cutting ties to Rogers, the failed offensive tackle and butchered second-round pick from '04.
He remains a huge wart on Big Bill's Valley Ranch portfolio.
And now the Cowboys are giving Rogers yet another chance?
Just shows the desperation with the offensive line.
But ...
If Rogers is coming back, what about a talented young receiver who was once a Cowboys' centerpiece of the future?
And this same receiver also ended up as another wasted second-round pick.
Yes, Antonio Bryant is apparently going to be on the street again.
The same guy who left here because he was a nutcase, and also because he took off his sweaty practice-field jersey and tossed it in the direction of Big Bill's face.
The Cleveland Browns don't want to spend the money to re-sign Bryant, despite him having a good season.
Don't the Cowboys need a talented young receiver?
So if Rogers is being forgiven, and given another chance, what about Antonio?
OK, I'm just kidding here. At least I think I'm just kidding.
This week, I was bouncing a theory off Valley Ranch heads.
(Since it's my theory, I thought it was brilliant.)
Two damaged-goods quarterbacks may be up for grabs by early March.
Drew Brees for one. Got a shoulder that's ailing.
Daunte Culpepper for two. Got a real bad knee that may keep him out of action until midseason in '06.
But the price appears to be right on both.
Why aren't the Cowboys involved in the pursuit of one of these guys?
Nothing against Drew Bledsoe (I keep saying that, only because it's true), but he just turned 34, and what is the long-range upside on Bledsoe?
Certainly he should be the starting QB next season.
But if the younger and more talented (my opinion on the talent part) Culpepper and Brees have to do a lot of rehabbing in '06, why not have one of them ready to go for the future.
The cost and/or gamble?
With Brees, a Texan, it would cost only money. The same as, oh, say, Chad Hutchinson.
With Culpepper, it would cost only draft picks. Maybe a second and a third. The same as, oh, say, Quincy Carter and Drew Henson.
So let's go to Jerry Jones with this theory.
Right off, he's in disagreement on the Cowboys getting involved.
In general, here's why:
The injury uncertainty with both.
Quarterback for the Cowboys is now a stable situation, both starter and backups.
Bledsoe played at a Pro Bowl level before the Flozell Adams injury.
The off-season goal is to put the right pieces in place, allowing Bledsoe to return to the high level of the first half of last season.
By going after either of these quarterbacks, the team would compromise its chances of acquiring the right pieces, because of salary cap space or lost draft picks.
That Bledsoe is a quality player at the most important position on the field, and the important thing is to maintain the flexibility to shore up the other areas.
Some valid, but also questionable, points from Jerry.
But overall, I still like my idea better.
Honk, if you agree.
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
The NFL's meat market for college players opens today in Indianapolis, and apparently the scouting combine is considered of ultimate importance at Valley Ranch.
Even Big Bill is said to be coming out of self-imposed hibernation to make the trip.
For the record, Parcells skipped Indy in 2004, and the Cowboys ended up using valuable first day draft picks on such worthless items as Jacob Rogers and Stephen Peterman.
Continuing to connect the dots, Big Bill returned to the scouting combine last February, and that '05 draft class was very good, or borderline great.
There's also a case to be made that then-newly hired scouting director Jeff Ireland impacted last year's draft.
But since Jerry Jones gives Parcells full authority to "buy the groceries and cook the meal," then Bill gets the credit or the blame. See Rogers. See Peterman.
In the Not-Breaking-News Dept., the Cowboys desperately need another impact draft in two months.
Parcells, with his new contractual riches, must agree if he's showing up in Indy this week. This comes after he skipped an earlier important function for draft evaluation.
Big Bill sat on his wallet in Irving during the Senior Bowl workouts.
Was said to be too busy with coaching staff changes.
Seems like he could have done both in Mobile, Ala. Make coaching hires and scout talent.
But enough of me being picky.
Let's get down to some real early off-season issues for the Cowboys:
Granted, the national mock drafts that are currently popping up on the geek wire are a tad premature.
It's a long, long way yet to late April.
But most of this guesswork has the Cowboys taking a safety with the 18th pick in the first round.
No, and no.
Well, not unless a safety is absolutely the best player available at the spot. And if he is, the Cowboys will consider trading down, maybe even up.
Safety is a need. But not as a first-round pick.
Use some hindsight. Go back to 2002. Was even Roy Williams, a can't-miss at the time, worth the eighth pick in the first round?
I tend to say he was not. Not that high. But it's a good debate.
In general, it's best not to take a safety -- ever -- in the first round.
That was me laughing at the Tuesday story out of Valley Ranch.
Jacob Rogers is being invited back for a May mini-camp.
Last August at training camp in Oxnard, Rogers was being dog-cussed privately by basically everyone connected to the Cowboys.
Publicly, Mr. Jones hinted at, but stopped short, of calling him gutless.
This was in a Jones statement that the team was cutting ties to Rogers, the failed offensive tackle and butchered second-round pick from '04.
He remains a huge wart on Big Bill's Valley Ranch portfolio.
And now the Cowboys are giving Rogers yet another chance?
Just shows the desperation with the offensive line.
But ...
If Rogers is coming back, what about a talented young receiver who was once a Cowboys' centerpiece of the future?
And this same receiver also ended up as another wasted second-round pick.
Yes, Antonio Bryant is apparently going to be on the street again.
The same guy who left here because he was a nutcase, and also because he took off his sweaty practice-field jersey and tossed it in the direction of Big Bill's face.
The Cleveland Browns don't want to spend the money to re-sign Bryant, despite him having a good season.
Don't the Cowboys need a talented young receiver?
So if Rogers is being forgiven, and given another chance, what about Antonio?
OK, I'm just kidding here. At least I think I'm just kidding.
This week, I was bouncing a theory off Valley Ranch heads.
(Since it's my theory, I thought it was brilliant.)
Two damaged-goods quarterbacks may be up for grabs by early March.
Drew Brees for one. Got a shoulder that's ailing.
Daunte Culpepper for two. Got a real bad knee that may keep him out of action until midseason in '06.
But the price appears to be right on both.
Why aren't the Cowboys involved in the pursuit of one of these guys?
Nothing against Drew Bledsoe (I keep saying that, only because it's true), but he just turned 34, and what is the long-range upside on Bledsoe?
Certainly he should be the starting QB next season.
But if the younger and more talented (my opinion on the talent part) Culpepper and Brees have to do a lot of rehabbing in '06, why not have one of them ready to go for the future.
The cost and/or gamble?
With Brees, a Texan, it would cost only money. The same as, oh, say, Chad Hutchinson.
With Culpepper, it would cost only draft picks. Maybe a second and a third. The same as, oh, say, Quincy Carter and Drew Henson.
So let's go to Jerry Jones with this theory.
Right off, he's in disagreement on the Cowboys getting involved.
In general, here's why:
The injury uncertainty with both.
Quarterback for the Cowboys is now a stable situation, both starter and backups.
Bledsoe played at a Pro Bowl level before the Flozell Adams injury.
The off-season goal is to put the right pieces in place, allowing Bledsoe to return to the high level of the first half of last season.
By going after either of these quarterbacks, the team would compromise its chances of acquiring the right pieces, because of salary cap space or lost draft picks.
That Bledsoe is a quality player at the most important position on the field, and the important thing is to maintain the flexibility to shore up the other areas.
Some valid, but also questionable, points from Jerry.
But overall, I still like my idea better.
Honk, if you agree.
posted by The Gryphon at 7:53 PM
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