Thursday, January 13, 2011

Dallas Cowboys need to improve in April

As anybody watching the Cowboys play this season could see, this team needs change. And if you didn't see them play even once, shame on you for one, just simply look at their record and their place in the division. A team with so much 'talent' to finish so poorly is unacceptable.

Jason Garrett has taken the challenge and at times, seemingly, the burden of building and sustaining a playoff caliber Cowboys team. The Cowboys have the money and the glamor and the history to lure talent through free agency. Unfortunately, you cannot build a team through free agency. It's too expensive and the players, generally, don't make it to free agency unless there's issues somewhere. You're team will also get old very quickly if you continue to try to build through adding veteran players.

You have to build teams through the draft. It's tough, but it's absolutely essential if you want to have a good team for years to come. And the Cowboys haven't really had a successful one, by my standards, since 2005 and even that's kinda iffy.


Look at the drafts since '05:


2005 - Dallas Cowboys
RdSel #PlayerPositionSchool
111DeMarcus WareOLBTroy State
120Marcus SpearsDELouisiana State
242Kevin BurnettLBTennessee
4109Marion BarberRBMinnesota
4132Chris CantyDEVirginia
6208Justin BeriaultDBBall State
6209Rob PetittiTPittsburgh
7224Jay RatliffDEAuburn
2006 - Dallas Cowboys
RdSel #PlayerPositionSchool
118Bobby CarpenterLBOhio State
253Anthony FasanoTENotre Dame
392Jason HatcherDEGrambling State
4125Skyler GreenWRLouisiana State
5138Pat WatkinsFSFlorida State
6182Montavious StanleyDTLouisville
7211Pat McQuistanTWeber State
7224E.J. WhitleyCTexas Tech
2007 - Dallas Cowboys
RdSel #PlayerPositionSchool
126Anthony SpencerOLBPurdue
367James MartenOTBoston College
4103Isaiah StanbackWRWashington
4122Doug FreeOTNorthern Illinois
6178Nick FolkKArizona
6195Deon AndersonFBConnecticut
7212Courtney BrownCBCal Poly-S.L.O.
7237Alan BallCBIllinois
2008 - Dallas Cowboys
RdSel #PlayerPositionSchool
122Felix JonesRBArkansas
125Mike JenkinsCBSouth Florida
261Martellus BennettTETexas A&M
4122Tashard ChoiceRBGeorgia Tech
5143Orlando ScandrickCBBoise State
6167Erik WaldenLBMiddle Tennessee State
2009 - Dallas Cowboys
RdSel #PlayerPositionSchool
369Jason WilliamsLBWestern Illinois
375Robert BrewsterTBall State
4101Stephen McGeeQBTexas A&M
4110Victor ButlerDEOregon State
4120Brandon WilliamsDETexas Tech
5143DeAngelo SmithDBCincinnati
5166Mike HamlinDBClemson
5172David BuehlerKUSC
6197Stephen HodgeLBTexas Christian
6208John PhillipsTEVirginia
7227Mike MickensCBCincinnati
7229Manuel JohnsonWROklahoma 

2009 - Dallas Cowboys
RdSel #PlayerPositionSchool
369Jason WilliamsLBWestern Illinois
375Robert BrewsterTBall State
4101Stephen McGeeQBTexas A&M
4110Victor ButlerDEOregon State
4120Brandon WilliamsDETexas Tech
5143DeAngelo SmithDBCincinnati
5166Mike HamlinDBClemson
5172David BuehlerKUSC
6197Stephen HodgeLBTexas Christian
6208John PhillipsTEVirginia
7227Mike MickensCBCincinnati
7229Manuel JohnsonWROklahoma 
2010 - Dallas Cowboys
RdSel #PlayerPositionSchool
124Dez BryantWROklahoma State
255Sean LeeLBPenn State
4126Akwasi Owusu-AnsahDBIndiana(PA)
6179Sam YoungOTNotre Dame
6196Jamar WallDBTexas Tech
7234Sean LissemoreDTWilliam & Mary








There's not many players who are still in the league, much less on the Cowboys roster. A lot of people will point to Jerry Jones and his perceived lack of football knowledge and he definitely deserves some of the blame. How much, is anyone's guess. Whatever the reason, it's imperative that the Cowboys improve on who the choose through the draft.

I'm not saying their struggles through the draft in recent memory are the reason the Cowboys finished 6-10 this season. My thoughts on their downfall have been fairly well documented. I believe not being able to draft properly has kept this team, when good, from being great. 

This team has talent. It's on the older side, but again, they have the players to win a lot of games. It's the coaches job to get those players to mesh and play as a unit. It's his job to get the most out of those players every day. It's his job to get them to focus on the task at hand. And it's the owners job, and in this case, the GM's job also, to allow the coach to do his job. 

Drafting better will just makes things easier for everyone involved.

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