Dallas Cowboys’ Attention Front and Center with Baylor Bears’ Phillip Blake

The NFL combine has came and gone along with the majority of college pro-days. The next wave of NFL pre-draft news concerning the Dallas Cowboys will be the team’s Dallas Days, the 30 individual Valley Ranch invites extended to potential team draft picks, and private workouts with potential draft picks at designated areas other than Valley Ranch.  Dallas Day takes place on April 6th. The Cowboys will visit with up to 30 prospects who have local roots in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. As far as private workouts with draft prospects outside of Valley Ranch, that process will begin today.

Today in Waco, Texas one such player that will meet as an individual for a private workout but likely not to be apart of Dallas Days is Baylor Bears Center Phillip Blake. The Baylor Bears held the schools annual pro day last Wednesday and after the The 6-2, 311-pound center confirmed, that he will have an individual, pre-draft workout today in front of new Cowboys offensive line coach Bill Callahan.

"“I’m excited about getting a chance to work out for Coach Callahan,” Blake said. “The Cowboys have shown some interest in me. I talked to them (at the combine). Right now, I’m just excited about the opportunity to work out and show these teams what I can do.”"

The Toronto born Phillip Blake didn’t step onto a football field until his senior year of high school. Average sized growing up, he began his athletic career playing basketball and street hockey.

The Canadian native left something to be desired with only 22 reps in the 225-pound bench press but the Baylor Bear center lit up the rest of the combine for a player of his size by running a 5.25 in the 40, having a 29 1/2-inch vertical jump and broad jumping 8 feet, 9 inches. Blake left the NFL combine as one of Mike Mayock’s best valued offensive linemen in the draft.

Blake really had nothing more to prove during Baylor’s Pro Day last Wednesday, although he did perfectly execute several shotgun snaps to Robert Griffin III during Griffin’s throwing session.

Perfectly executed snaps from center is something Cowboy fans can really appreciate after countless mishaps with the shotgun snap during last seasons campaign. Phillip Blake could provide an instant upgrade at the center position for the Cowboys, a position at which was manned last year by both Bill Nagy and Phil Costa.

"Serving as Dallas Cowboys general manager @ABXXV25 sums it up best with his recent drafting of Phillip Blake in the #mocktwo twitter draft. “Phil Costa struggled throughout the season to not only anchor versus interior pressure, but also with snaps (see Redskins MNF game). Phillip Blake can come in and start year one, immediately improving the interior line play.”"

Blake can play all positions along the offensive line and will likely be drafted in the mid-rounds of the upcoming NFL draft and should be considered tremendous value if the Baylor Center falls to the fourth round or later.  Blake, who has been accused of lacking in the conditioning department often struggled to keep up with quick interior defensive lineman. Likely one of a few reasons blake isn’t rated higher on many team draft boards.  

"One NFL evaluator goes as far as to say, “(Baylor C Philip) Blake can play guard or center. He’s big and thick-bodied. It’s not easy to find those guys. I could see him going in the third (round) after he goes through the process.”"

Feel free to shoot any questions via twitter @j0eo1s and follow the hashtag #mocktwo and the upcoming #mockthree War Room Edition for comprehensive NFL mock draft coverage.

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