Cowboys Draft 2016: Steering clear of Joey Bosa?

Will the Dallas Cowboys issues with their current players actually force them to steer clear of Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa in the upcoming NFL Draft?

With the NFL Draft now less than a week away, there is an idea floating around that the Dallas Cowboys recent issues at the defensive end position will forced them to draft for that need fourth overall next Thursday. But the reality is those concerns could make the Cowboys do the opposite.

There seems to be an underlining belief that the recent suspensions levied along the Cowboys defensive line have painted Dallas into a corner when it comes to the upcoming draft. And that Dallas will be forced to take Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa with their top overall selection in order to address the need. That sentiment was recently echoed on the league’s official website.

"“Off-field issues for Dallas Cowboys defensive linemen have painted the club into something of a corner with the No. 4 overall pick,” wrote Chase Goodbread, College Football 24/7 writer for NFL.com this week. “[Mike] Mayock cited the club’s turbulent season with Greg Hardy, who is now a free agent, and the suspensions of Randy Gregory and Demarcus Lawrence among the reasons why Joey Bosa might be the only direction the club can go with its first choice. At the same time, Dallas must do its homework on Bosa himself, who was suspended for Ohio State’s season-opener last year.”"

According to Charlie Campbell of WalterFootball.com, Bosa allegedly told NFL teams during his Combine interviews that his refusal to take a drug test was the cause for the suspension. He apparently claimed he didn’t want to test positive for taking Adderall, a medication that is prescribed for those struggling with ADD or ADHD, which Bosa apparently does.

Campbell went on to explain how some teams found that claim hard to believe since Bosa has apparently admitted that he likes to attend raves. The Buckeye pass rusher allegedly also got mixed reviews from his interviews with potential teams. If a franchise, like the Cowboys, believes Bosa was being disingenuous with them concerning his potential drug use, I’m not sure how confident they could feel about using the fourth overall selection on him.

Especially considering the recent troubles Dallas has experienced. As Goodbread mentioned, the Cowboys have had more than their fair share of issues when it comes to defensive ends this offseason.

Coming off a 4-12 season where they gambled with their public image by signing controversial free agent Greg Hardy, and have seemingly decided to part ways with him, the Cowboys now have had second-year pass rusher Randy Gregory suspended for the first four games of the upcoming season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

Dallas also has a looming four-game suspension for defensive end Demarcus Lawrence, who led the team in sacks last season. Reportedly suspended for his use of amphetamines, Lawrence’s has appealed the suspension and the result should be known soon.

For the Cowboys, that potentially leaves them without several bodies at the defensive end position when the regular season starts. But, as Mayock claims, does this force Dallas to consider Bosa with the fourth overall pick? I’m sure Dallas has been considering him all along, regardless of their recent suspensions. And Cowboys vice president and direct of player personnel Stephen Jones has said as much.

"“[Bosa’s] certainly one of the best players in this draft, and he’ll certainly get strong consideration from us,” Jones told G-Bag Nation on 105. 3 The Fan via the Dallas Morning News on Friday. “I do think he’ll be one of the top players picked, as he deserves to be. He’s a great football player.”"

Despite Jones’ positive comments, I think the Cowboys recent struggles with character concerns at the position could actually make them steer clear of Bosa in this draft. It all depends on if the Cowboys actually believe the young prospect is clean or not. If there are any off-the-field concerns about Bosa, based on their own recent issues, Dallas may opt to go with another, more cleaner player fourth overall.

And before fans start campaigning for his teammate, running back Ezekiel Elliott for the fourth overall pick, Campbell reports that Bosa was Elliott’s roommate at one point. And that the young pass rusher allegedly moved out due to the amount of partying that was taking place in their shared space. So the fear is Elliott may have been a bigger partier than Bosa, and involved in similar activities.

Bottom line is the Cowboys will need to do their homework on every prospect they consider for the fourth overall selection. And they have likely spent millions of dollars doing so on every single player they’ll consider at all of their selections in next week’s NFL Draft.

Each prospect with suspected off-the-field issues should be judged on a case-by-case basis. But to think the Cowboys could possibly be forced to take a prospect who might have off-the-field issues due to their team currently having players with off-the-field issues is a little ridiculous in my opinion.

Next: Dallas Cowboys: Too Stubborn In Free Agency

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