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 that they defeated the Giants in their two regular season matchups. What can you say? Comeuppance is as hard to swallow as Texas Tabasco sauce. Nevertheless, the Cowboys had much 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 hollering and flipping hats in the air, consider first a very telling sign: the 2008 draft. What was Dallas thinking this year?
The Cowboys chose 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 made a year and a half ago, the Cowboys had two first round picks this season and the media began to speculate what the team's strategy would be. Experts were not quite underwhelmed, but more observant of the team's cautious approach. They resisted choosing a flashier player and instead focused on strengthening their roster, which had played very well in the previous season.
Critics noted that none of the team's draft picks could really be considered starter material. Owner Jerry Jones resisted going all out this season, even backing away from courting superstar Darren McFadden as the cost was simply deemed too much. However, Dallas did well in terms of filling some holes. They replaced Julius Jones with Felix Jones in a move that was largely predictable. While Felix Jones doesn't have the flash of other players Dallas could have sought, he remains a great talent and one that can effectively join a game as a runner, receiver and return man.
Another controversial move was Dallas trading some spots to acquire Mike Jenkins, a player well liked in the draft and actually rated by the team as the #2 cornerback. Filling the role of cornerback was one of Dallas' most crucial needs as Anthony Henry is aging and Pacman Jones is hardly reliable at this point in his career. Martellus Bennett was brought in to replace Anthony Fasano and is a fantastic find. This is type of athlete that major leagues court right out of high school, which does say something about Dallas' eye for new talent.
All in all, the consensus among fans and NFL experts was that Dallas' drafting efforts were shrewd. They filled needs with their first two first-round picks, however disappointed others with their head-scratching picks of players like Tashard Choice. Some experts still see a problem in the team's offensive and defensive lines. While some have seen this cautionary attitude as proof that Dallas is doing everything right thus far (hard to debate after 2007's improved performance) others are left wondering if the playing strategy has changed. While the Dallas draft has divided fans, no one can deny that Dallas is one of the most likely teams to upset the 2008 season.
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