3 overhyped players Cowboys fans need to pump the breaks on
By Jerry Trotta
Hang in there, Dallas Cowboys fans. Summer break is almost over, which means training camp in Oxnard is right around the corner. Before you know it, we'll have more Cowboys content at our disposal than we know what to do with.
The hype surrounding the Cowboys is tangible given their returning most of their starters from last season's 12-5 finish and added Brandin Cooks and Stephon Gilmore, who shore up two positions of need and bring a needed winning pedigree and more veteran leadership to the locker room.
For the sake of this conversation, though, we'll focus our attention on some younger players. Specifically, players who have garnered a ton of hype -- probably too much hype -- since the offseason started and might struggle to meet the growing expectations.
3. Eric Scott Jr.
The Cowboys surprised just about everyone when they traded up in the sixth round to select Southern Miss cornerback Eric Scott Jr. It sparked memories of the Nahshon Wright pick in the third round two years ago in terms of how unexpected it was.
While Scott was a pre-draft visit with the Cowboys, many draft prognosticators pegged him as someone who wouldn't get drafted.
During OTAs and mandatory minicamp Dallas' infatuation with Scott became apparent as he practiced with the first-team defense. ESPN's Todd Archer even labeled Scott as the team's "surprise offseason standout," and mentioned that the sixth-rounder impressed Dan Quinn, which can't be easy for a rookie.
"When you see a guy wanting the moment to go compete, like, you know, I'm balling my fists up and saying, 'I ain't leaving here,' that's what I'm looking for specifically for the rookies," Quinn said of Scott. "That kind of mindset and attitude is really what it takes for a young player to assert themselves into these moments because that responsibility is really to say, 'Hey, man, can we count on you when it's there?' Them learning to do that early on, that's a big deal, knowing that like the amount of work that goes into to say, 'I'm down for this challenge.' I've seen that from Eric so far."
That's big praise from Quinn, but fans should pump the breaks on Scott -- or at least temper expectations. While DaRon Bland balled out last year as a fifth-round rookie, the Scott hype seems a little premature for our liking.