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.
