Many Dallas Cowboy fans have been left wondering why, instead of franchising Anthony Spencer at $8.8M for the 2012 season, 2009 4th round pick Victor Butler wasn’t anointed the teams starting outside linebacker spot opposite DeMarcus Ware.

Apr 28, 2011; New York, NY, USA; The ninth overall pick tackle Tyron Smith (Southern California) to the Dallas Cowboys during the 2011 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

Its likely that within the Cowboys organization the consensus is that if Anthony Spencer would of been allowed to sign elsewhere, it not only would have left the Cowboys with depth issues at the linebacker position but total confidence in Victor Butler’s ability to fill the void opposite DeMarcus Ware may be lacking.

This situation alone leads us to ask ourselves how well the Dallas Cowboys have done building the team in the later rounds of the draft.

How many of you remember players taken in rounds 3-7 of the NFL draft the past 5 years? With that question let’s venture back and take a glimpse of exactly how well the team has built the team via draft rounds 3-7 starting with last years 2011 NFL Draft:

2011 NFL Draft round 3: The Dallas Cowboys surprised many with the selection of DeMarco Murray fromOklahoma in the third round. Many seen the need to draft a running back coming with the fading away of Marion Barber but choosingMurray in the third seemed like a reach to some. Yet the Sooner running back surprised just as many with a break-out rookie performance while filling in for an injured Felix Jones.

Round 4:Dallas once again went to a smaller lesser known school for offensive line help when the staff chose guard David Arkin fromMissouriState in the fourth round. Arkin never seen the field during the regular season but did flash potential during preseason. The Cowboys hope that Arkin will provide quality depth at some point but time may be running out for Arkin before it even began.

Round 5: Josh Thomas, defensive back from Buffalo was signed from the practice squad by the Carolina Panthers. Strike one, in the fifth round where a team is hoping to at least add depth and a special team’s contributor if nothing else but with Thomas Dallas received nothing but a wasted pick in last years draft.

Sixth round: Wide receiver Dwayne Harris fromEast Carolina had one of the most impressive preseason debuts for a rookie in Cowboys history, catching five passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns. Then, he fell off the radar. Harris appeared in seven games his rookie season for the Cowboys, returning kickoffs and punts, but he’s yet to catch a pass in a regular-season game.

Seventh round: Both Bill Nagy fromWisconsin and Shaun Chapas fromGeorgia, who himself played in only three games for the Dallas Cowboys, were both drafted in the seventh round. While during Chapas three games on the actual roster yielded the fullback a rushing total of zero yards, only one pass catch and status of an non-impact much less a contributor of any kind. Chapas’ seventh round counterpart, offensive lineman Bill Nagy, on the other hand actually started the 2011 season as the Cowboys starting left guard until an injury in the sixth week of the season derailed the former Badgers rookie season.

With the two recent signings in free agency of guards Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau, Bill Nagy and both David Arkin will likely see only spot duty and possible special team’s contribution but little else. How much of a contribution remains to be seen.

That leaves DeMarco Murray as the lone asset from rounds 3-7 of the 2011 NFL draft and that folks is just not acceptable but since we are only one year removed from this draft class we will allow the Dallas Cowboys the benefit of the doubt on 2011 until at least the end of the 2012 season. Let’s move on to rounds 3-7 of the 2010 NFL draft shall we?

Everyone remembers how enamored Jerry Jones was with thenOklahomaStatewide receiver, Dez Bryant. Most everyone not living under a rock knew that the young wide receiver would not likely fall to the Dallas Cowboys at the 27th overall spot of that year’s draft but would slide some due to character concerns. The controversial wide out was still on the board when the New England Patriots’ turn on the clock came up at 24th overall; Jerry Jones did his thing and away went the Dallas Cowboys third round draft choice as part of the deal to move up from 27th to the 24th position.

2010 NFL Draft round 3: Traded away toNew England in what is known as the Dez Bryant draft day deal.

Round 4: Dallas Cowboys took a gamble on Division II standout and safety Akwasi Owusu-Ansah from Indiana Pennsylvania but the gamble didn’t pay off. Injured for most of his time with the Cowboys, Owusu-Ansah is now a player for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Strike two!

Round 5: Dallas traded this selection to Denver for guard Montrae Holland. Holland was cut early in the 2011 campaign in favor of Bill Nagy but later was signed after a season-ending ankle injury to the rookie lineman whoHolland was cut in favor of. No hard feelings on the part of Montrae Holland as the offensive guard stepped right in and performed admirable.

Round 6: Sam Young, a tackle from Notre Dame was waived in early September and was later acquired by the Buffalo Bills. Strike 3!

Round 6: Cornerback, Jamar Wall, from Texas Tech now plays for the Georgia Force of the Arena Football League. Strike number 4!

Seventh round: Interior defensive lineman, Sean Lissemore of William & Mary took a step forward with his play last season. He’s developed into a reliable nose tackle for the Cowboys and the team likes his aggressiveness and energy. He continues to improve and have impact. During his rookie season, Last season, Lissemore appeared in every game and finished the season with 28 tackles and two sacks. Some within the organization feel that Lissemore could break out this year given the opportunity and assuming he doesn’t get buried behind a 1st or 2nd round interior lineman in this April’s upcoming draft. 

In 2011 the Dallas Cowboys interior offensive line left much to be desired.  Call it youth, inexperience, injuries, whatever you must; either way most Cowboys fans agree upgrading the interior offensive line is of high priority in the 2012 off-season.  With much of the Cowboys nation screaming ‘guard, guard, guard’, Carl Nicks is the hot choice to fill this slot.  Before completely breaking the bank by signing a top 10 overall free agent in Nicks, and vastly depleting the team’s much needed free agency funds on one star player, Dallas needs to explore the center angle.

Tony Romo in need

The 2012 Cowboys most pressing, feasible interior line need is an accomplished, veteran anchor leading the big eaters up front.  The center is the commander of the front five, the line general responsible for assigning blocking responsibilities and also adjusting these calls on the fly.

Any quarterback will attest a capable center is akin to a security blanket for the big man on campus.  With a solid center consistently snapping the ball to the quarterback’s gratification, it allows the offense to hum along and the QB to immediately focus on his downfield progressions.  Hauling in a grounder off his shoes or snagging an alley-oop out of the sky delays the precise process of reading the coverage and creates far more stress and urgency on the quarterback than necessary.

The true importance of the quarterback-center cohesive relationship is best described by successful veterans who have experienced and mastered the unbelievably complicated nuances of the demanding center position. (more…)

As the Dallas Cowboys prepare for the Scouting Combine, the start of the 2012 Free Agency period, and then the 2012 NFL Draft, everyone has an opinion on what Jerry Jones should do.  Our reader question this week asks specifically about that all important 14th pick.

If you have questions you would like answered by The Landry Hat staff, please forward them to cjlandryhat@hotmail.com

James Pritchard, El Paso: Which player would you take with the 14th pick if you limited your options to players who are likely to be available at 14?

Joe Owen: The Dallas Cowboys are not the only team in dire need of a top rated guard in this years NFL draft. And as Landry Hat cohort Greyson Jones wrote last week that “DeCastro would seem to be the ‘safe’ pick, the guaranteed quality starter for the next ten years.” The offensive lineman will in all likely-hood not be available by the time pick number fourteen rolls around.

Dec 26, 2011; Shreveport, LA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels defensive end Quinton Coples (90) warms up before the game against the Missouri Tigers in the Independence Bowl at Independence Stadium. Missouri won 41-24. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-US PRESSWIRE

With that being said and along with those likely available once Dallas is on the clock out of Mark Barron, Cody Gleen, Zach Brown, and Quinton Coples my money is on defensive end Quinton Coples.

After an MVP type performance at the Senior Bowl this guy could be the Houston Texans’ J.J. Watt equivalent for the Dallas Cowboys. All this assuming the questions regarding his tendency to take plays off are hugely exaggerated.

Steven Phillips: For me it has to be David DeCastro out of Stanford at number 14. At 6’5″ and weighing in at 310 lbs he’s not a Goliath by any means, but he is fundamentally sound and is a high-motor player who never takes a play off. He has quick feet and excels at run blocking. He isn’t extremely athletic, yet he has light feet and enough speed to get to the next level. The Cowboys have major issues at the interior line positions. Derrick Dockery is a free agent after spending much of the season injured, Phil Costa was inconsistent to put it nicely and who knows what to expect from Montrae Holland? None of the above should be in the starting lineup come opening day. DeCastro is the top interior lineman in the draft at this point and, like Tyron Smith last year, he fills a need and could be plugged in to the starting lineup. Picking DeCastro is a perfect match.

Greyson Jones: If David DeCastro is there at 14 I’d take him no questions asked. However, if he is as good in workouts as I think he will be, he’ll probably be a top 10 pick. In my mind, that leaves Melvin Ingram and Dre Kirkpatrick. Who they pick depends on whether the Cowboys think Victor Butler is ready for full-time OLB. Personally, I think he is. That leaves Kirkpatrick. While recently wrote an article explaining that the chance that Dre Kirkpatrick is going to be a Pro-Bowler is slim (15%,) if the Cowboys are simply looking for a solid cornerback and some depth (which would likely be found in rounds 3-5 with players like Casey Heyward and Cliff Harris) I think Kirkpatrick would be a fine choice, so long as they don’t hype him like they did Tyron Smith.

Seth Jones: Alfonzo Dennard, the CB from Nebraska. He played with Prince Amukamara, who isn’t actually a prince. He can cover fast guys and strong guys. He’s diverse. Maybe Peter Konz, center from Wisconsin. Wouldn’t it be cool to have an awesome center? I’m not saying that Konz would be awesome, but he COULD be. Isn’t that what the draft is about? Yes, yes it is. Don’t get all smart and such.

Mark Contreras: It’s a little early in the process to be deciding. Having said that, I believe the Cowboys need to go the safe route here. They need to draft someone who will be in a Cowboys uniform for years to come. If they decide on an O-lineman, I think it needs to be DeCastro from Stanford. If they decide on an Outside linebacker, I think it needs to be Zach Brown from UNC. So on and so forth. Take the highest rated guy (on THEIR board) with the best head on his shoulders and really start (re)BUILDING a once proud franchise. The 1st through 3rd rounds should be cornerstone players that are around for many years. Rounds 4-7 is when you get to play with projects. Too often, Jerry wants to play with 1st and 2nd round picks which is why the Cowboys find themselves a constant disappointment.

Todd Toombs: Two ways to approach this – actual need or best athlete available.  The Cowboys have lots of needs so I would clearly advocate for the former approach.  In that vein, the defense appears to be the most challenged with cornerback, defensive line, outside linebacker, and possibly safety being the focal points (in that order in my opinion).  Beyond LSU’s Morris Claiborne (very unlikely to be available at #14), the other cornerbacks appear a bit risky.  If Dre Kirkpatrick is available, I’d have to take him even with the recent arrest issue.  His combination of size and speed is hard to find and would likely be worth the risk.  Outside of him however, I’m not sure I would take a cornerback at 14 as quality players will be available in later rounds.  My next choice would be a pass rushing defensive lineman – Courtney Upshaw or Quinton Coples would be fantastic but unlikely to drop all the way to #14.  South Carolina’s Melvin Ingram is likely to be available as is Illinois’ Whitney Mercilus (got to love his name if nothing else), Jerel Worthy from Michigan State, or Dontari Poe from Memphis.  At safety, Alabama’s Mark Barron is likely to be there at #14.

Of course all bets are off if Jerry decides to move up.  I could see him swapping draft spots with a top ten team and giving them our 2nd round pick to get a player he really covets.  The other option is to trade down and get additional picks in the 2nd or 3rd rounds.  Unless a Claiborne or Upshaw or someone close to that calibre is available at 14, that might be the right move (although unpopular with the fan base depending on who they get with the additional picks).

If you have questions you would like answered by The Landry Hat staff, please forward them to cjlandryhat@hotmail.com

Like what you see? Give The Landry Hat a “like” on facebook, become a follower on twitter, or grab our RSS feed.