2008 Dallas Cowboys preliminary report
In 2007, the Dallas Cowboys were the talk of Texas until the divisional playoffs, where they lost to the New York Giants, who would go on to win the Super Bowl. This was ironic considering they defeated the Giants in both of their regular season matchups. What can you say? Comeuppance is as hard to swallow as Texas Tabasco sauce. However, the Cowboys had a lot to be proud of in 2007, finishing their season with a 13-3 record. Will 2008 be the Cowboys’ return to Super Bowl victory? Before you start yelling and throwing hats in the air, first consider a very telling sign: the 2008 draft. What was Dallas thinking this year?
The Cowboys selected six players for the 2008 draft, including running back Felix Jones from Arkansas, cornerback Mike Jenkins from South Florida, tight end Martellus Bennett from Texas A&M, running back Tashard Choice from Georgia, cornerback Orlando Scandrick from Boise State and defensive end Erik Walden from Middle Tennessee. Thanks to the draft trade a year and a half ago, the Cowboys had two first-round picks this season, and the media began to speculate on the team’s strategy. Pundits weren’t entirely disappointed, but were more attentive to the team’s cautious approach. They resisted choosing a more flashy player and instead focused on strengthening their squad, which had played very well the previous season.
Critics noted that none of the team’s draft picks could really be considered starting material. Owner Jerry Jones resisted going all out this season, and even backed off from courting superstar Darren McFadden because the cost was simply deemed too much. However, Dallas did well in terms of filling some gaps. They replaced Julius Jones with Felix Jones in a move that was pretty predictable. While Felix Jones doesn’t have the flare of other players Dallas might have looked for, he’s still a great talent and one who can effectively join a game as a running back, receiver and returner.
Another controversial move was Dallas trading some spots to acquire Mike Jenkins, a highly regarded player in the draft and rated by the team as the No. 2 cornerback. Filling the cornerback job was one of Dallas’ most crucial needs, as Anthony Henry is getting old and Pacman Jones is unreliable at this point in his career. Martellus Bennett was hired to replace Anthony Fasano and he is a fantastic find. This is the kind of athlete the big leagues court right out of high school, which says something about Dallas’ eye for new talent.
In general, the consensus among fans and NFL pundits was that Dallas’ selection efforts were astute. They filled the gap with their top two first-round picks, however, they let others down with their surprising player picks like Tashard Choice. Some pundits still see a problem with the team’s offensive and defensive lines. While some have seen this cautionary stance as proof that Dallas is doing everything right so far (hard to argue after the improved performance of 2007), others wonder if the game’s strategy has changed. While the Dallas draft has divided fans, no one can deny that Dallas is one of the teams most likely to disrupt the 2008 season.