Cowboys Insider: Draft busts damage Parcells' reputation
Tom Orsborn
Express-News Staff Writer
Some of you might find this hard to believe, but Bill Parcells hasn't always struggled to find quality offensive linemen in the draft. Remember Jumbo Elliott? Parcells selected the former Michigan standout in the second round in 1988 for the Giants, and he went on to play 14 seasons in the NFL.
Jason Fabini (fourth round), Bob Kratch (third round), Max Lane (sixth round) and Doug Riesenberg (sixth round) are other Parcells' picks who enjoyed longer-than-average careers.
But Parcells seems to have lost his touch in Dallas. At least that was the case in 2004 when he chose USC tackle Jacob Rogers and LSU guard Stephen Peterman in the second and third rounds, respectively.
Parcells was warned Rogers was too fragile to make it in the pros. The Cowboys gave up on Rogers last year after he chose to have knee surgery even though the club said it wasn't necessary.
On Wednesday, Dallas released Peterman. He lost his roster spot to Cory Procter, an undrafted second-year player the Cowboys snatched from Detroit's practice squad in November.
"Procter was his undoing," Parcells said of Peterman, who missed his rookie season with a knee injury. "He's a good kid. He works hard, tough, but I just think Procter's better."
Parcells offered an impassioned defense for his draft missteps when a reporter suggested teams should hit home runs with first-day picks. Carolina certainly did when they passed on Rogers and Peterman and picked South Carolina tackle Travelle Wharton in the third round in '04 with the 94th overall pick.
Wharton has 27 starts entering this season. He's expected to start at left tackle this season, but he also can play guard.
"Let me tell you something, fellas," Parcells said. "You can forget about that because it doesn't affect me one way or another. I'm in the talent acquisition business. We got (linebacker) Ryan Fowler for nothing. You want me to start naming them? (Cornerback) Jacques Reeves (was selected) in the seventh round. (Receiver) Patrick Crayton, we saw him on Dallas Day (the team's tryout session for undrafted players).
"If you're right on half your draft choices, you're doing pretty well."
Asked if players chosen on the first day of the draft should be expected to start, Parcells said. "No, it's not fair to say that any more than it's fair to say you expect a sixth or seventh rounder to be anything. So what you hope is that in your draft, that somewhere along the line, you get players that can be good for you for a while. Period. It doesn't make any difference where you took them if they're good players."
Parcells also suggested it's difficult to judge whether college linemen have the work ethic, heart and toughness to make it in the league.
"... You may see a very talented player who's a big kid who (has been able to) push kids down all his life and no one can deal with him physically (in college), but he'll never be a good pro because he doesn't have the work ethic, the determination, the wherewithal to put himself in a position to compete at a high level," Parcells said.
"Then you get the other guys like this Procter and kids that will not leave the weight room. No matter what you do, they're staying after you've gone (home) to try to develop themselves into a player."
Parcells said he wants young linemen that are unselfish, intelligent and weight-room junkies. He says Procter, who is pushing Kyle Kosier at left guard, has all three of those qualities in spades.
"The main thing I've seen with him is that there is absolutely no quit in this kid," Parcells said of Procter, a 6-foot-4, 305-pound Montana alumnus. "... He is a very intense, competitive guy. And he will not give anything but his best."
Parcells needs Procter and seventh-round pick Pat McQuistan to blossom into starters. If that happens, the coach's reputation as a shrewd judge of offensive linemen just might be restored.
But until then, Cowboys fans will just remember him as the guy who selected a pair of busts in 2004. And that those busts forced Jerry Jones to spend big bucks on signing bonuses for free agents Marco Rivera, Fabini and Kosier.
Position-battle updates
Receivers: Recently signed LaShaun Ward is the latest receiver to suffer an injury. Ward, nursing a strained hamstring, joined Terrell Owens on the stationary bike Thursday. Parcells said his other injured receiver, Patrick Crayton, has a "chance" to return next week from an ankle injury that has sidelined him for nearly a month.
"It's not like riding a bike with Patrick," Parcells said. "I learned that last year when he got hurt. He came back and he wasn't the same guy he was the first part of the season. If I have two weeks to get him ready (for the Sept. 10 regular-season opener in Jacksonville), that would be a big advantage for him."
Crayton had 22 catches before he fractured an ankle on Oct. 16 against the Giants. After coming back from surgery, he recorded only four receptions in the season's final month.
"I really need to get my timing down," Crayton said.
With so many receivers on the sidelines, the Cowboys continue to beat the bushes for prospects. On Thursday, they signed Arizona-reject Damarius Bilbo, an undrafted rookie from Georgia Tech.
Bilbo joins a crowded field of youngsters that includes Sam Hurd. Despite his touchdown catch in Monday's 30-7 victory over New Orleans, the former Brackenridge star remains on the bubble.
"Sam is making progress, but it's going to be close," Parcells said. "I'm not sure exactly how this is going to fall out because I've got a couple of injuries at receiver, so I have to have somebody that can play who has experience."
Hurd needs to show improvement as a special teams performer if he is going to nail down a spot, Parcells said.
"He is running around lost right now," Parcells said. "He is willing, but he doesn't know where he is going. He tackled (teammate) Nate Jones the other day. He was supposed to be blocking somebody on (the Saints) and he knocked Nate flat."
Parcells hinted he would prefer not to play any of his untested receivers against Jacksonville.
"I have to have somebody play against Jacksonville. It would be hard for me to just say, I'm going to play a guy that I have never seen in a live game before.
Kickers: Parcells said he remains hopeful that Mike Vanderjagt (sore groin) can play Saturday against the 49ers.
"I would like to see him kick off," Parcells said. "I haven't seen him do that yet."
Vanderjagt was scheduled to play against New Orleans on Monday, but he begged out after experiencing pain during warm-ups.
"I want to play so bad it's killing me," Vandrjagt said. "But it's killing me."
Parcells would prefer not to burn a roster spot on a kick-off specialist. Vanderjagt, the most accurate kicker in NFL history, hasn't handled the chore regularly since 2003.
"It would be hard for me to decide if he (can kick off) if I haven't seen him do it," Parcells said. "I have to see something."
Shaun Suisham and Tyler Fredrickson handled kickoffs during the first two preseason games.
"I have guys here that can kick off," Parcells said. "I've got two players here that can kick off adequately. I thought Suisham kicked off very well."
Left tackle: Marc Colombo and Jason Fabini are expected to rotate at right tackle Saturday. Colombo is the clearly the frontrunner to start at the spot.
Express-News Staff Writer
Some of you might find this hard to believe, but Bill Parcells hasn't always struggled to find quality offensive linemen in the draft. Remember Jumbo Elliott? Parcells selected the former Michigan standout in the second round in 1988 for the Giants, and he went on to play 14 seasons in the NFL.
Jason Fabini (fourth round), Bob Kratch (third round), Max Lane (sixth round) and Doug Riesenberg (sixth round) are other Parcells' picks who enjoyed longer-than-average careers.
But Parcells seems to have lost his touch in Dallas. At least that was the case in 2004 when he chose USC tackle Jacob Rogers and LSU guard Stephen Peterman in the second and third rounds, respectively.
Parcells was warned Rogers was too fragile to make it in the pros. The Cowboys gave up on Rogers last year after he chose to have knee surgery even though the club said it wasn't necessary.
On Wednesday, Dallas released Peterman. He lost his roster spot to Cory Procter, an undrafted second-year player the Cowboys snatched from Detroit's practice squad in November.
"Procter was his undoing," Parcells said of Peterman, who missed his rookie season with a knee injury. "He's a good kid. He works hard, tough, but I just think Procter's better."
Parcells offered an impassioned defense for his draft missteps when a reporter suggested teams should hit home runs with first-day picks. Carolina certainly did when they passed on Rogers and Peterman and picked South Carolina tackle Travelle Wharton in the third round in '04 with the 94th overall pick.
Wharton has 27 starts entering this season. He's expected to start at left tackle this season, but he also can play guard.
"Let me tell you something, fellas," Parcells said. "You can forget about that because it doesn't affect me one way or another. I'm in the talent acquisition business. We got (linebacker) Ryan Fowler for nothing. You want me to start naming them? (Cornerback) Jacques Reeves (was selected) in the seventh round. (Receiver) Patrick Crayton, we saw him on Dallas Day (the team's tryout session for undrafted players).
"If you're right on half your draft choices, you're doing pretty well."
Asked if players chosen on the first day of the draft should be expected to start, Parcells said. "No, it's not fair to say that any more than it's fair to say you expect a sixth or seventh rounder to be anything. So what you hope is that in your draft, that somewhere along the line, you get players that can be good for you for a while. Period. It doesn't make any difference where you took them if they're good players."
Parcells also suggested it's difficult to judge whether college linemen have the work ethic, heart and toughness to make it in the league.
"... You may see a very talented player who's a big kid who (has been able to) push kids down all his life and no one can deal with him physically (in college), but he'll never be a good pro because he doesn't have the work ethic, the determination, the wherewithal to put himself in a position to compete at a high level," Parcells said.
"Then you get the other guys like this Procter and kids that will not leave the weight room. No matter what you do, they're staying after you've gone (home) to try to develop themselves into a player."
Parcells said he wants young linemen that are unselfish, intelligent and weight-room junkies. He says Procter, who is pushing Kyle Kosier at left guard, has all three of those qualities in spades.
"The main thing I've seen with him is that there is absolutely no quit in this kid," Parcells said of Procter, a 6-foot-4, 305-pound Montana alumnus. "... He is a very intense, competitive guy. And he will not give anything but his best."
Parcells needs Procter and seventh-round pick Pat McQuistan to blossom into starters. If that happens, the coach's reputation as a shrewd judge of offensive linemen just might be restored.
But until then, Cowboys fans will just remember him as the guy who selected a pair of busts in 2004. And that those busts forced Jerry Jones to spend big bucks on signing bonuses for free agents Marco Rivera, Fabini and Kosier.
Position-battle updates
Receivers: Recently signed LaShaun Ward is the latest receiver to suffer an injury. Ward, nursing a strained hamstring, joined Terrell Owens on the stationary bike Thursday. Parcells said his other injured receiver, Patrick Crayton, has a "chance" to return next week from an ankle injury that has sidelined him for nearly a month.
"It's not like riding a bike with Patrick," Parcells said. "I learned that last year when he got hurt. He came back and he wasn't the same guy he was the first part of the season. If I have two weeks to get him ready (for the Sept. 10 regular-season opener in Jacksonville), that would be a big advantage for him."
Crayton had 22 catches before he fractured an ankle on Oct. 16 against the Giants. After coming back from surgery, he recorded only four receptions in the season's final month.
"I really need to get my timing down," Crayton said.
With so many receivers on the sidelines, the Cowboys continue to beat the bushes for prospects. On Thursday, they signed Arizona-reject Damarius Bilbo, an undrafted rookie from Georgia Tech.
Bilbo joins a crowded field of youngsters that includes Sam Hurd. Despite his touchdown catch in Monday's 30-7 victory over New Orleans, the former Brackenridge star remains on the bubble.
"Sam is making progress, but it's going to be close," Parcells said. "I'm not sure exactly how this is going to fall out because I've got a couple of injuries at receiver, so I have to have somebody that can play who has experience."
Hurd needs to show improvement as a special teams performer if he is going to nail down a spot, Parcells said.
"He is running around lost right now," Parcells said. "He is willing, but he doesn't know where he is going. He tackled (teammate) Nate Jones the other day. He was supposed to be blocking somebody on (the Saints) and he knocked Nate flat."
Parcells hinted he would prefer not to play any of his untested receivers against Jacksonville.
"I have to have somebody play against Jacksonville. It would be hard for me to just say, I'm going to play a guy that I have never seen in a live game before.
Kickers: Parcells said he remains hopeful that Mike Vanderjagt (sore groin) can play Saturday against the 49ers.
"I would like to see him kick off," Parcells said. "I haven't seen him do that yet."
Vanderjagt was scheduled to play against New Orleans on Monday, but he begged out after experiencing pain during warm-ups.
"I want to play so bad it's killing me," Vandrjagt said. "But it's killing me."
Parcells would prefer not to burn a roster spot on a kick-off specialist. Vanderjagt, the most accurate kicker in NFL history, hasn't handled the chore regularly since 2003.
"It would be hard for me to decide if he (can kick off) if I haven't seen him do it," Parcells said. "I have to see something."
Shaun Suisham and Tyler Fredrickson handled kickoffs during the first two preseason games.
"I have guys here that can kick off," Parcells said. "I've got two players here that can kick off adequately. I thought Suisham kicked off very well."
Left tackle: Marc Colombo and Jason Fabini are expected to rotate at right tackle Saturday. Colombo is the clearly the frontrunner to start at the spot.
posted by The Gryphon at 7:34 PM
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