Jerry Jones thinking defense first
By CLARENCE E. HILL JR.
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER
IRVING - Roughly two months ago, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones sat on his bus at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis and said he was leaning toward selecting an offensive player in the first round of the NFL Draft.
The Cowboys have not drafted an offensive player in the first round since selecting tight end David LaFleur with the 22nd pick in 1997, and the team's biggest needs seemingly have been on that side of the ball.
Of course, that was before the Cowboys signed a whopping eight players in free agency, led by superstar receiver Terrell Owens.
Jones said Thursday that the overall plan is to take the best player available in the draft.
But based on the draft and what the Cowboys have done so far in free agency, Jones is now leaning toward taking a defensive player with the 18th overall pick.
"When I've looked at this year and free agency, I think that free agency has helped our offense appreciably," Jones said. "We're not going to be able to make that kind of difference in a draft offensively, in my mind. We may be able to, in the draft, help ourselves defensively, right now."
Who they get and when they might get them, however, will be decided on draft day.
Among the names being considered for the 18th overall pick are North Carolina State linebacker Manny Lawson, Tennessee safety Jason Allen, Ohio State safety Donte Whitner and Ohio State linebacker Bobby Carpenter.
Because there are so many choices, many of whom might be available later in the round or early in the second round, Jones acknowledges that the team might trade down.
While he said trading up is only a possibility if one of the top players (USC tackle Winston Justice or Texas safety Michael Huff) drops to within three picks of their position, the Cowboys are more apt to trade down.
"It's so expensive to go up, relative to what it costs you in draft picks," Jones said. "There's just six or seven situations up there that if it got close enough to you, a few picks away, that you would want to pay the cost to get up there.
"But it's more likely to take the value of trading down if someone else has a player there. I feel good about the quality of the players right there."
Safety talk
Jerry Jones likes the moves the Cowboys made with the re-signing of safety Keith Davis and the addition of veteran safety Marcus Coleman.
He said Davis was "in our plans," and because of the $2.1 million offer sheet he signed with the New Orleans Saints, "it's going to cost us more" for him to be in our plans.
The Cowboys were able to remove some language from Davis' contract regarding defensive snaps and bonus money.
Jones said Coleman can play special teams, nickel defense and will compete for a starting role at free safety against Davis, Justin Beriault and Willie Pile.
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER
IRVING - Roughly two months ago, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones sat on his bus at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis and said he was leaning toward selecting an offensive player in the first round of the NFL Draft.
The Cowboys have not drafted an offensive player in the first round since selecting tight end David LaFleur with the 22nd pick in 1997, and the team's biggest needs seemingly have been on that side of the ball.
Of course, that was before the Cowboys signed a whopping eight players in free agency, led by superstar receiver Terrell Owens.
Jones said Thursday that the overall plan is to take the best player available in the draft.
But based on the draft and what the Cowboys have done so far in free agency, Jones is now leaning toward taking a defensive player with the 18th overall pick.
"When I've looked at this year and free agency, I think that free agency has helped our offense appreciably," Jones said. "We're not going to be able to make that kind of difference in a draft offensively, in my mind. We may be able to, in the draft, help ourselves defensively, right now."
Who they get and when they might get them, however, will be decided on draft day.
Among the names being considered for the 18th overall pick are North Carolina State linebacker Manny Lawson, Tennessee safety Jason Allen, Ohio State safety Donte Whitner and Ohio State linebacker Bobby Carpenter.
Because there are so many choices, many of whom might be available later in the round or early in the second round, Jones acknowledges that the team might trade down.
While he said trading up is only a possibility if one of the top players (USC tackle Winston Justice or Texas safety Michael Huff) drops to within three picks of their position, the Cowboys are more apt to trade down.
"It's so expensive to go up, relative to what it costs you in draft picks," Jones said. "There's just six or seven situations up there that if it got close enough to you, a few picks away, that you would want to pay the cost to get up there.
"But it's more likely to take the value of trading down if someone else has a player there. I feel good about the quality of the players right there."
Safety talk
Jerry Jones likes the moves the Cowboys made with the re-signing of safety Keith Davis and the addition of veteran safety Marcus Coleman.
He said Davis was "in our plans," and because of the $2.1 million offer sheet he signed with the New Orleans Saints, "it's going to cost us more" for him to be in our plans.
The Cowboys were able to remove some language from Davis' contract regarding defensive snaps and bonus money.
Jones said Coleman can play special teams, nickel defense and will compete for a starting role at free safety against Davis, Justin Beriault and Willie Pile.
posted by The Gryphon at 9:11 PM
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