Dallas Cowboys: Who will step up to help guide team’s future?
Seeing the Dallas Cowboys locker room get younger is inspiring, but is there a proper blend of experienced veterans to help guide the future?
While Dallas Cowboys Nation enjoys the aftermath of the recent 2017 NFL Draft, my mind is thinking ahead. I’m not a visionary by any means. I’m just being honest with everyone by acknowledging I haven’t studied the players we’ve drafted yet.
The Cowboys did select players from the following programs that I recognize: Michigan, Colorado, Florida State, Florida and Ohio State. I wish we could’ve dipped into that powerful SEC pool, but I’ll trust that former NFL head coach Jim Harbaugh is using Michigan to produce quality NFL players.
While I prepare to evaluate our draft picks and how they could fit onto our roster, my mind has turned towards the recently eliminated NFL rookie symposium. Think of the rookie symposium as the NFL’s version of the Scared Straight program.
The NFL assembled all of the rookies in one spot and allowed them to hear about the pros and cons that come with being a professional athlete. The seminars were especially heavy on the cons.
The NFL will allow teams to conduct their own programs to educate their rookies. Fortunately our draft picks this year haven’t been proven to be anything but outstanding citizens. Yet, controversy follows the Cowboys and our owner and general manager Jerry Jones hasn’t been dedicated to selecting “the right kind of guy”.
When the Cowboys’ locker room was filled with the dynamic veteran duo of tight end Jason Witten and quarterback Tony Romo, guys like defensive end Randy Gregory still couldn’t walk the straight and narrow path. Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence was suspended for taking a banned substance, even though Romo stayed clean after multiple surgeries.
Linebacker Rolando McClain was suspended and remained missing for an entire season. Defensive tackle Josh Brent was convicted in the drunk driving death of teammate Jerry Brown. There were also the free agent signings of troubled players: defensive end Greg Hardy and cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones by our front office.
Next: Dallas Cowboys 2017 NFL Draft: Grading Each Pick
If you can’t point at the undrafted free agent that threw for 34,183 passing yards and 248 touchdowns while becoming team captain and the face of the franchise with Witten at his side as players to emulate – then who will step up and inspire the next generation to be great?
#GoCowboys