Cowboys have no interest in moving up into first round

Cowboys have no interest in moving up into first round
2:08 PM Thu, Apr 23, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon E-mail News tips

Any time an NFL decision maker talks the week of the draft, there's a decent chance that he's fibbing. However, Jerry Jones sure was convincing when he said that the Cowboys have no intention in bundling their picks to trade up into the first round.

"One of the reasons we made the Roy Williams trade was to stay out of the first round -- stay out of the first round," Jerry said during today's press conference inside the new stadium, citing the unique financial challenges of signing a first-round pick.with an uncapped season looming.

Jerry warned that Saturday would be a "slow day," indicating that the Cowboys would be fine with waiting until the 51st overall pick to go on the clock.

OK, but with all those picks in his pocket, can Jerry really stand to be patient?

"We're going to put him in a straitjacket," Stephen Jones cracked.

There will be plenty of time and opportunities for trading Sunday, when the Cowboys have 10 picks. They can't trade their two compensatory selections, but Jerry will be ready to wheel and deal with the rest.

"We'll be in a controlling position of the draft," he said.

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Jerry Jones on WR Roy Williams: 'I would absolutely do that trade again'
3:16 PM Thu, Apr 23, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon E-mail News tips

The Cowboys obviously didn't get the immediate returns they expected on the deal with Detroit that brought WR Roy Williams to Dallas.

However, Jerry Jones doesn't regret pulling the trigger on the trade after watching Williams catch only 19 passes in 10 games for the Cowboys last season.

"The verdict is really still out, but I would absolutely do that trade again," said Jerry, who mentioned that Williams was slowed last season by nagging injuries and raved about his off-season work. "I would do that trade again. The only fair way to look at that trade, at his age, is to give it the benefit of how and what it does as we go ahead over the next year or two."

Troy Aikman recently expressed reservations about Williams' ability to be a No. 1 receiver and opined that the trade could be "one of the biggest busts in NFL history."

With all due respect for a quarterback that put three rings on his finger, Jerry noted that Aikman isn't always on target when it comes to evaluating trades.

"I was reminded and shown where Troy similarly questioned the Herschel Walker trade and just didn't know how for sure you trade a player like Herschel Walker," Jerry said. "Very similar situation. Well, I understand why you would make that trade today. We didn't have very many football players on the team but Herschel Walker. But you have to really see how those work out, in my mind, to be fair about it.

"Candidly, when Troy does talk and gives his opinion, I listen, I always have...We would be tremendously disappointed and should be if that trade doesn't work out for us. But we are early in this trade."

If Williams, after a full off-season and training camp, can put up 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns, the Cowboys can easily justify giving up first- and third-round picks for the right to make him one of the league's richest receivers.

If Williams can't have the best season of his career, it'd be tough to call the trade anything but a bust.