The 2013 draft is officially in the books. All the mock drafts, and analysis went out the door once the Kansas City Chiefs were on the clock. Now all that’s left is the debate. Experts will assign draft grades and decide which teams are winners or losers even though we won’t truly know who made the right calls until years from now. It’s all part of the process.
For now, let’s take a break from the hypotheticals and look at what these three days have taught us.
The Cowboys had a clear plan
This draft was all about helping Tony Romo.
After the famous contract extension the Cowboys are all in on number 9. They showed how committed they are to giving Romo the tools he needs to succeed by spending their first three picks on offense. They got the best center in the draft, a pass catching beast of a tight end, and a big wide out who led the nation in receiving yards last season.
Before the second round began, the Cowboys had Romo watch tape on Gavin Escobar and Terrance Williams. Tony liked what he saw and the Cowboys brought them aboard.
You can’t get more “Romo friendly”.
The Felix Jones era is over
The Cowboys were thin at running back and the position was seen as a huge need going into the draft. Demarco Murray is a clear number one but has been sidelined with significant injuries in back to back seasons. Felix Jones is still an unrestricted free agent and hasn’t generated much interest from the league.
As the draft progressed and running backs were dropping off the board I began to wonder if the Cowboys were going go without one all together. If so, would they have to bring back Felix?
I didn’t have to wonder very long. They selected Joseph Randle out of Oklahoma State in the 5th round. He was projected by many to go in the third round but the Cowboys got him for a huge bargain.
Randle is a very similar back to Demarco Murray. He’s big, fast, and can catch the ball out of the backfield. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry during his college career and scored a whopping 40 touchdowns in his last two seasons.
I think it’s safe to say the Cowboys will no longer need the services of Felix Jones.
The Cowboys are going to wait on finding Romo’s successor
If you read my pre-draft article, you know I was big on the Cowboys drafting a QB to groom as Romo’s eventual replacement.
The Cowboys didn’t agree. They did not select a QB in the 2013 draft despite the free fall of some very talented options. Matt Barkley, Ryan Nassib, Tyler Wilson, and Landry Jones were all selected in the forth round.
Two NFC East foes, the Eagles and the Giants, decided it was a good idea. Philly picked up Barkely, and the Giants selected Eli’s long term back-up in Nassib.
Maybe the Cowboys will address this need next year, it’s just a little unnerving to see two good quarterbacks land in our division.
I don’t think the 2013 draft was the time or place to find Romo’s successor. This draft was a QB mine field of hit or miss options. Nothing out there was better than Kyle Orton in the short term or anything worth hanging your hat on for the future.
Travis Frederick was a reach at 31. This was proven by the fact that a very comparable Brian Schweinke was the next center off the board at 107.
The Cowboys addressed positions of need in the draft, I just have a problem with the value they got in the trade, coupled with reaching for players after moving down. Another poor effort after a couple of promising drafts in ’11 and ’12 in my opinion.
After taking a day to reflect, I would give the Cowboys a B- on this years draft. Reason being, Jerry Jones over paid for Frederick in the first round. He traded the 18th pick and passed up on key defensive players such as LB Olgletree and S Elam. Granted they do need major changes with the offensive line, but Frederick could have easily been picked up in 2nd or even 3rd round.
However, I do believe that the Boys got a bargain on key offensive weapons Williams and Escobar. Fortunately, They have great masters to learn from in Bryant and Witten. Plus, Escobar is gonna be huge at blocking for Romo. Both Witten and Escobar will expose defenses similar to what the Pariots do with their dual TE set.
Most importantly, my favorite pick was RB Joseph Randal. This beast is threat on all levels. Having him and Murray coming out the back will be unstoppable and plus, Randle is not only reliable on blocking the blitz, but the kid knows how to stay healthy. Last thing they need is another fragile RB.
Lets all just hope that Jerry Jones’ refusal to draft a young QB prodigy for Romo doesn’t come back to bite him. Granted there weren’t really many options at QB in this years draft, but I still believe that there should have a been someone drafted last year. I’m not to impressed with Orton drive and eventually Romo will get seriously injured with his style of play and lack of protection. Needless to say, I think this year will be another 9-7 or 8-8 season.