Bobby Carpenter has proven he can get to the quarterback and defend the pass
COWBOYS
Pass rush may get jolt from drafteesCarpenter, SWAC lineman join tight end from Notre Dame in the Class of '06
By JAYNE CUSTRED
Chronicle Correspondent
IRVING - Ohio State linebacker Bobby Carpenter, whose father played for Cowboys coach Bill Parcells with the New York Giants, was the first player taken by Dallas with the 18th selection in the NFL draft.
After trading down five spots in the second round, the Cowboys added Notre Dame tight end Anthony Fasano with the 53rd pick. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he expected both players to earn starting spots next season.
"Fasano knows our terminology," Jones said. "It's what they use at Notre Dame. He did there exactly what we're going to be asking him to do here. That goes for both of these players. Carpenter's already done everything he'll be asked to do.
"So I would be disappointed to use that high first-round pick and not have a starter. My expectations are for him to move in pretty quickly. I would also expect (Fasano) to start."
Carpenter, a 6-2, 254-pounder, was part of a unit that led the nation in rushing defense, and he is expected to help the Cowboys at the strong outside linebacker position opposite DeMarcus Ware. He finished the 2005 season with 49 tackles and eight sacks after fracturing his right fibula in the regular-season finale and missing the Fiesta Bowl.
Another Linebacker U.?
At Ohio State, Carpenter joined A.J. Hawk, who was drafted No. 5 overall by Green Bay, and Anthony Schlegel in forming what many considered the best linebacker unit in college football last season.
Fasano should join Pro Bowler Jason Witten in the Cowboys' two-tight end, two- receiver offense.
Jones said the team was thrilled Fasano was still available after the Cowboys gave up their 49th pick to the New York Jets for the 53rd, 197th (sixth round) and 211th (seventh round) overall picks.
The Cowboys also traded down in the third round, giving up the 80th pick to Jacksonville for the 92nd pick as well as the 125th pick, a fourth-rounder.
The club did not originally have a fourth-round pick.
With the 92nd selection, Dallas took Jason Hatcher, a 6-6, 283-pound defensive end from Grambling.
While Hatcher, a former tight end, is still learning how to plan on the defensive line, his size and athletic ability could help him develop into a real force for the Cowboys. As a junior, he finished with just 33 tackles, but as a senior, he had 71, including 11 sacks.
Despite his lack of experience, the Cowboys are hoping Hatcher will become a disruptive player along the line.
Dad's an ex-Oiler
Carpenter comes with plenty of experience. His father, Rob, played for Parcells when he was the Giants' defensive coordinator in 1981-82 and then head coach until 1985, when Carpenter went to the Los Angeles Rams.
The elder Carpenter — now head coach at Lancaster (Ohio) High — played for the Houston Oilers for four years, gaining 652 yards as a rookie in 1977.
His son said he dreamed of playing for Parcells.
"I tried not to want to go anywhere, because I didn't want to get my heart set on one team. I wouldn't categorize myself as one of 'his' guys yet, because that's got to be earned," Carpenter said. "But my dad said coach Parcells valued hard work, and that's something I bring to the table every day."
Jones said Parcells' link to the elder Carpenter had nothing to do with the decision.
"If we drafted everyone Bill has known or coached, I don't know what we'd have here," Jones said. "But the fact that his dad was in the NFL and his being around that growing up would be a positive. He's got a great background through osmosis with his dad. But we also thought he could be an immediate contributor. He lets us continue down that road to being a 3-4 defense. He's highly competitive."
The ability to make a quick impact was also a deciding factor in taking Fasano, said Jones, who wants to perfect a two-tight-end offense.
"The main reason for that is to let you have the same personnel on the field for first, second and third down," Jones said. "Defenses don't know what you are doing on any down. We felt good about Fasano, being in the same scheme at Notre Dame.
"He has quick feet, a really good ability to seek the soft spots and get open, and he does a good job blocking. At the end of the day, he was such a focal point of what we wanted to get done in this draft."
Good-hands formation
Jones said he expected to see Fasano playing on the same side as receiver Terrell Owens, with Witten near Terry Glenn.
Fasano said he couldn't be any more excited to join the Cowboys, especially after hearing about Parcells many times last year from Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis, a former assistant to Parcells with the New England Patriots.
"This is probably the best situation I could walk into," said Fasano, who will graduate in May with a marketing degree. "Coach Weis always told me what a good fit this would be. Coach Weis has a lot of coach Parcells in him."
Pass rush may get jolt from drafteesCarpenter, SWAC lineman join tight end from Notre Dame in the Class of '06
By JAYNE CUSTRED
Chronicle Correspondent
IRVING - Ohio State linebacker Bobby Carpenter, whose father played for Cowboys coach Bill Parcells with the New York Giants, was the first player taken by Dallas with the 18th selection in the NFL draft.
After trading down five spots in the second round, the Cowboys added Notre Dame tight end Anthony Fasano with the 53rd pick. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he expected both players to earn starting spots next season.
"Fasano knows our terminology," Jones said. "It's what they use at Notre Dame. He did there exactly what we're going to be asking him to do here. That goes for both of these players. Carpenter's already done everything he'll be asked to do.
"So I would be disappointed to use that high first-round pick and not have a starter. My expectations are for him to move in pretty quickly. I would also expect (Fasano) to start."
Carpenter, a 6-2, 254-pounder, was part of a unit that led the nation in rushing defense, and he is expected to help the Cowboys at the strong outside linebacker position opposite DeMarcus Ware. He finished the 2005 season with 49 tackles and eight sacks after fracturing his right fibula in the regular-season finale and missing the Fiesta Bowl.
Another Linebacker U.?
At Ohio State, Carpenter joined A.J. Hawk, who was drafted No. 5 overall by Green Bay, and Anthony Schlegel in forming what many considered the best linebacker unit in college football last season.
Fasano should join Pro Bowler Jason Witten in the Cowboys' two-tight end, two- receiver offense.
Jones said the team was thrilled Fasano was still available after the Cowboys gave up their 49th pick to the New York Jets for the 53rd, 197th (sixth round) and 211th (seventh round) overall picks.
The Cowboys also traded down in the third round, giving up the 80th pick to Jacksonville for the 92nd pick as well as the 125th pick, a fourth-rounder.
The club did not originally have a fourth-round pick.
With the 92nd selection, Dallas took Jason Hatcher, a 6-6, 283-pound defensive end from Grambling.
While Hatcher, a former tight end, is still learning how to plan on the defensive line, his size and athletic ability could help him develop into a real force for the Cowboys. As a junior, he finished with just 33 tackles, but as a senior, he had 71, including 11 sacks.
Despite his lack of experience, the Cowboys are hoping Hatcher will become a disruptive player along the line.
Dad's an ex-Oiler
Carpenter comes with plenty of experience. His father, Rob, played for Parcells when he was the Giants' defensive coordinator in 1981-82 and then head coach until 1985, when Carpenter went to the Los Angeles Rams.
The elder Carpenter — now head coach at Lancaster (Ohio) High — played for the Houston Oilers for four years, gaining 652 yards as a rookie in 1977.
His son said he dreamed of playing for Parcells.
"I tried not to want to go anywhere, because I didn't want to get my heart set on one team. I wouldn't categorize myself as one of 'his' guys yet, because that's got to be earned," Carpenter said. "But my dad said coach Parcells valued hard work, and that's something I bring to the table every day."
Jones said Parcells' link to the elder Carpenter had nothing to do with the decision.
"If we drafted everyone Bill has known or coached, I don't know what we'd have here," Jones said. "But the fact that his dad was in the NFL and his being around that growing up would be a positive. He's got a great background through osmosis with his dad. But we also thought he could be an immediate contributor. He lets us continue down that road to being a 3-4 defense. He's highly competitive."
The ability to make a quick impact was also a deciding factor in taking Fasano, said Jones, who wants to perfect a two-tight-end offense.
"The main reason for that is to let you have the same personnel on the field for first, second and third down," Jones said. "Defenses don't know what you are doing on any down. We felt good about Fasano, being in the same scheme at Notre Dame.
"He has quick feet, a really good ability to seek the soft spots and get open, and he does a good job blocking. At the end of the day, he was such a focal point of what we wanted to get done in this draft."
Good-hands formation
Jones said he expected to see Fasano playing on the same side as receiver Terrell Owens, with Witten near Terry Glenn.
Fasano said he couldn't be any more excited to join the Cowboys, especially after hearing about Parcells many times last year from Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis, a former assistant to Parcells with the New England Patriots.
"This is probably the best situation I could walk into," said Fasano, who will graduate in May with a marketing degree. "Coach Weis always told me what a good fit this would be. Coach Weis has a lot of coach Parcells in him."
posted by The Gryphon at 8:37 PM
<< Home