Know Your Dallas Cowboys: The Blog

This has been my first offseason not only of blogging about the Cowboys but also of paying more than a bit of attention to the mock drafts. And there was good reason why there was no reason at all to pay attention to the mock drafts– the best I can figure, it is about as easy to hit a dart board from 50 yards away as it is to guess who the Cowboys are going to take with the 22nd pick.

That doesn’t stop our myriad of experts from trying. Here are a few last-minute guesses.

Blogging the Boys notes that former Dallas Morning News beat writer Matt Mosley thinks that Dallas will take Purdue defensive end/linebacker Anthony Spencer. Oh, the excitement– another franchise-saving pass rusher!

Here is Grizz’s note today:

Right now, my top three guesses, and I would be happy with any of them are:
Aaron Ross
Brandon Merriweather
Anthony Spencer

I dropped Dwayne Bowe from third; I just don’t think they are going WR in the first round. All that talent available at the position in the second round makes me think they’ll wait.

Taking a moment to mention again that Grizz is a better blogger than I am… I’m still holding out hope for a receiver.

Mosley had more to say about the Cowboys:

Jerry Jones finally faxed his draft board over to the hotel. The bellman is on his way up with it as we speak. Here’s what I’m able to tell you: All the Brandon Meriweather talk has started to die down. I still don’t think the Cowboys will take a wide receiver, but the guys they really like are LSU’s Dwayne Bowe and Tennessee’s Robbie Meachem, who grew up roping calves in Tulsa.

And don’t think the signing of Brock Berlin will have any impact on whether the Cowboys go after a quarterback in this draft. The guy they really like is BYU’s John Beck, although the most attractive member of the club’s PR staff has thrown her support behind Houston’s Kevin Kolb.

Rich Gosselin thinks it will be Aaron Ross:

The Cowboys need depth at cornerback, and Ross gives it to them. He won the Thorpe Award as college football’s top defensive back in 2006. The Cowboys also need help on special teams, finishing 21st in the NFL in punt returns. Ross has an 11.8-yard career punt return average with three touchdowns.

Now to the Fox experts, which have two receivers that I am not hoping for the Cowboys to pick–

Derek Harper of NFLDraftScout.com thinks Dallas will take Ted Ginn, Jr. of Ohio State.

Ginn’s workout last week did little to impress scouts, who already knew he was fast. His durability is a bigger concern. But the Cowboys have a strong roster and the ability to use this pick for a potential home run. Terrell Owens is, and Terry Glenn will be 33 next season, so this is a position the Cowboys need to address for the future. In the present, Ginn can big a big-play return threat who is used sparingly in three- and four-receiver sets as a rookie.

Peter Schrager still has USC receiver Dwayne Jarrett.

Sticking with this one. Even if I’m the only man in the world who sees it happening. The USC career record holder for touchdowns and receptions laid eggs both at the combine and at USC’s Pro Day. During the latter, Trojan linebacker Dallas Sartz ran a faster 40, as Jarrett clocked in with embarrassing 4.67 and 4.62 40 scores and was less than impressive in quickness drills. I’m not quitting on the Jersey boy yet, though. After filling their holes at safety and offensive line (Ken Hamlin and Leonard Davis), the Cowboys have no real “pressing” immediate needs. If there’s any position they’ll look to upgrade it, it’s at receiver, where Terrell Owens is 34 and Terry Glenn is 33. Dallas has the luxury to take a bit of a risk in this spot. Just a bit weird to consider a guy who scored 41 touchdowns caught 216 balls in three years at college — a “risk.”