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Posted by
nickeatman at 3/22/2012 12:59 PM CDT on dallascowboys.com
Free agency is tended to address needs heading into the draft. The Cowboys have done that at the guard position – signing Mackenzy Bernadeau and Nate Livings to a pair of contracts that at least suggests those two guys will be the starting guards when OTAs and mini-camps begin this summer.
That’s even more of the case after the team waived Kyle Kosier earlier this week.
Still, the Cowboys aren’t completely overlooking the guard position heading into the draft. In fact, new offensive line coach Bill Callahan has some private workouts scheduled with a couple of interior linemen that could go in the second-third round range.
Last week, Callahan and assistant offensive line coach Wes Phillips worked out small-school stud Amini Silatolu from nearby Midwestern State in Wichita Falls, Texas (a former training camp site from 1998-2001). Silatolu played at Cowboys Stadium in a Division II tripleheader last September that also featured North Alabama’s Janoris Jenkins. Those two were clearly the best two players on the field that day. Silatolu was a dominating left tackle at a smaller level, but figures to play guard in the NFL.
Callahan is also expected to be at Baylor on Monday to work out center/guard Philip Blake, who didn’t participate much in Wednesday’s Pro Day on campus, which was obviously headlined by Robert Griffin III. But Blake has some versatility – playing tackle and center in college and then worked out at guard at the Senior Bowl with rave reviews.
Blake’s best position is likely at center, where he played the last two seasons. The Cowboys don’t appear to be aggressively looking for an upgrade at center for Phil Costa, but won’t turn down a better opportunity.
Blake and Silatolu are just two of many mid-round prospects. But it sounds like the Cowboys are definitely doing their due diligence despite signing what appears to be a pair of starting guards, not to mention a host of youngsters in Bill Nagy, David Arkin and Kevin Kowalski.
Free agency is tended to address needs heading into the draft. The Cowboys have done that at the guard position – signing Mackenzy Bernadeau and Nate Livings to a pair of contracts that at least suggests those two guys will be the starting guards when OTAs and mini-camps begin this summer.
That’s even more of the case after the team waived Kyle Kosier earlier this week.
Still, the Cowboys aren’t completely overlooking the guard position heading into the draft. In fact, new offensive line coach Bill Callahan has some private workouts scheduled with a couple of interior linemen that could go in the second-third round range.
Last week, Callahan and assistant offensive line coach Wes Phillips worked out small-school stud Amini Silatolu from nearby Midwestern State in Wichita Falls, Texas (a former training camp site from 1998-2001). Silatolu played at Cowboys Stadium in a Division II tripleheader last September that also featured North Alabama’s Janoris Jenkins. Those two were clearly the best two players on the field that day. Silatolu was a dominating left tackle at a smaller level, but figures to play guard in the NFL.
Callahan is also expected to be at Baylor on Monday to work out center/guard Philip Blake, who didn’t participate much in Wednesday’s Pro Day on campus, which was obviously headlined by Robert Griffin III. But Blake has some versatility – playing tackle and center in college and then worked out at guard at the Senior Bowl with rave reviews.
Blake’s best position is likely at center, where he played the last two seasons. The Cowboys don’t appear to be aggressively looking for an upgrade at center for Phil Costa, but won’t turn down a better opportunity.
Blake and Silatolu are just two of many mid-round prospects. But it sounds like the Cowboys are definitely doing their due diligence despite signing what appears to be a pair of starting guards, not to mention a host of youngsters in Bill Nagy, David Arkin and Kevin Kowalski.
