The 2008 NFL Draft Thread

[Dirkenstien]

I would add Andy Katzenmoyer to that list, although injury did have something to do with his downfall.

Now he's off coaching a highschool football team somewhere and trying to get his degree but the big Kat had a lot of potential and looked like he could have been a great linebacker in the NFL.

[alby]

So since we know Long is going 1. Who's going 2? and has D-Mac really dropped that far?

[snoop]

dorsey looks lke the guy there but it could be chris long or vernon golstin depending if they are looking for motor or upside but I think if the rams keep the pick they go d side of the ball

[DirkFTW]

Did I hear right that Flaco was drafted by the Ravens?

[nikeball]

Originally Posted by DirkFTW

Did I hear right that Flaco was drafted by the Ravens?

I am jumping on that bandwagon.

[Underdog]

Draft Notes: Trades Have Long-term Gain
link


IRVING, Texas - Aside from trading three spots up to grab cornerback Mike Jenkins at No. 25, the Cowboys stayed relatively conservative on Day One of the NFL Draft.

Then the real dealing began.

The Cowboys made an astounding five trades on Sunday alone but moved up only once, swapping their fifth- and seventh-round picks to grab Boise State cornerback Orlando Scandrick earlier in the fifth.

But those downward trades helped stock next year's draft. The Cowboys acquired a 2009 third-round pick from Detroit and a 2009 fourth-rounder from Cleveland, which could help them move higher in next year's draft to select, say, an elite receiver.

"You saw what we were able to do with Jenkins," Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said. "You figure you're going to have a first-round pick and you've got extra threes and fours, then you can certainly do some things if the right guy were there."


Quarterback Pass

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones stopped short of calling backup quarterback an absolute draft necessity earlier in the week, and the Cowboys indeed passed on the position this weekend.

Head coach Wade Phillips said the Cowboys considered it in the later rounds but ultimately didn't feel comfortable with the idea of a rookie sitting behind Tony Romo and Brad Johnson, who turns 40 in September.

They would rather have more experience in waiting should Romo and Johnson get injured, and Phillips hinted at potentially signing another veteran quarterback this summer.

"There's always veteran backups out there," Phillips said. "Now whether they fit your team or not, like Brad Johnson does, you don't know. But there are guys out there at times. We're aware of those."

Jones also has praised first-year veteran Richard Bartel for his improvement on the practice squad since arriving as a rookie free agent last year. Bartel is eligible to attend next weekend's rookie mini-camp.


Choice Words

Running back Tashard Choice's incoming call list filled up fast once the Cowboys selected him in the fourth round (No. 122). One well-wisher was former Oklahoma teammate Adrian Peterson, the reigning NFL Rookie of the Year.

Choice played eight games behind Peterson as freshman in 2004 before transferring to Georgia Tech, where he became the first player in school history to produce back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons. He earned All-ACC honors as a senior despite having arthroscopic knee surgery last October and playing through a nagging hamstring injury.

Choice considers Peterson and the Cowboys' Marion Barber to be the NFL toughest runners. He'd like to join that company with his 5-11, 211-pound frame.

"I love watching Marion Barber," Choice said. "To have a chance to actually see him run and see how he prepares is going to be pretty nice."


Leaving Early

Boise State cornerback Orlando Scandrick, the Cowboys' fifth-round pick, said he doesn't regret declaring for the draft after his junior season.

Scandrick said he heard projections as high as the second round after he entered the draft.

"I felt good about my athletic ability," he said. "I felt it was a great opportunity. A couple more guys than I anticipated had come out. Things happen. I'm just trying not to look back to the past."


Familiar Switch

Sixth-round pick Erik Walden's imminent switch from Sun Belt defensive end to NFL linebacker won't be unprecedented in Dallas. DeMarcus Ware has become two-time All Pro since arriving from Troy as the No. 11 overall pick three years ago.

The expectations aren't nearly as high for Walden (6-2, 246), but he believes a successful transition is possible under Cowboys linebackers coach Reggie Herring.

"Taking input Coach Herring installs into me and then from linebackers that will be in front of me, I ain't got no choice but to excel learning from guys like that," Walden said.

Walden, a first-team All-Sun Belt selection his final two years at Middle Tennessee, played three games at linebacker as a sophomore because of injuries. But pass-rushing was his primary duty in college, much like Ware and last year's first-round pick Anthony Spencer. Walden tallied 22 ½ sacks during his four-year career.


First Hog

While Jerry Jones has never been afraid to sign players from his home state of Arkansas in the past, some were surprised to learn Felix Jones became the first Razorback ever drafted by the Cowboys on Jones' watch.

He has signed players such as Clint Stoerner, Anthony Lucas and even free safety Ken Hamlin in free agency last year.

But as far as draft picks, Felix Jones became the first when he went No. 22 in the first round on Saturday.

"It just hasn't fallen that way. I think it's pretty clear that I don't' get off-track to go that way," Jerry Jones said. "But yes, I'm surprised that we hadn't made a high, significant pick out of Arkansas in 20 years."

Now Jerry Jones said he had no problems admitting that he knew more about Felix Jones because of the school he attended.

"I have talked with (former Arkansas athletic director) Frank Broyles several times in the last year and I know Houston Nutt very well," Jones said of the former Arkansas football coach, who recruited and coached Felix Jones the last three seasons. "So we feel like we knew a lot about him. And at the end of the day, we just kept hearing over and over what a great worker this guy is. That when it's said and done, he does whatever it takes to get the job done."


Numbers Game

Cowboys equipment manager Mike McCord is already figuring out the jersey situation for his new players.

McCord said top pick Felix Jones will be wearing No. 28, the number vacated by Tyson Thompson. At Arkansas, Jones wore No. 25, which is used by safety Pat Watkins.

Cornerback Mike Jenkins will wear the No. 31 recently worn by safety Roy Williams, who is moving to 38. And tight end Martellus Bennett will wear No. 80.

Cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones is expected to wear No. 21 in honor of his friend Deion Sanders. Jones wore No. 32 in his two seasons with the Titans.