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Sabin: Cowboys' 2013 draft class was criticized, but who's laughing now?
RAINER SABIN Staff Writer
Published: 22 October 2014 10:33 PM
Updated: 23 October 2014 02:58 PM
IRVING — For so long, Gavin Escobar was an outlier in his draft class.
The former second-round pick wasn’t especially productive and remained confined to the margins of the roster, surfacing occasionally before disappearing again. He wasn’t like Travis Frederick, Terrance Williams, J.J. Wilcox or Joseph Randle — players who had defined roles and made regular contributions.
Then came Sunday, when Escobar was catapulted onto center stage at AT&T Stadium, where he caught two touchdown passes in a victory over the New York Giants that lifted Dallas to a 6-1 record.
Just like that, the Cowboys’ 2013 draft haul sparkled even more. It has become hard to believe for those who questioned this group when it was assembled. Back then, few outsiders would have declared a victory for the Cowboys’ braintrust as they left the war room at Valley Ranch.
The seven players taken — Frederick, Escobar, Williams, Wilcox, B.W. Webb, Randle and DeVonte Holloman — didn’t jump off the page.
The Cowboys’ detractors found plenty to criticize. They ripped Dallas for passing on Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd and LSU safety Eric Reid. They questioned why the Cowboys didn’t take any of the 40 defensive linemen picked.
They also claimed the Cowboys had been hoodwinked in a trade that ultimately proved a boon. The Cowboys’ decision to trade down in the first round netted them the 31st choice, used to take center Frederick, and a third-round pick with which they took Williams, who leads the team with six touchdown receptions this season.
Frederick and Williams are key cogs in an offense that is fourth in points scored and third in yards per game. Wilcox, meanwhile, has emerged as a starter in his second season. Although he is still in the early stages of development, he filled an immediate need in the 2013 draft after Gerald Sensabaugh was cut.
“One of the things we targeted was a safety,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said. “We felt like he could be a really good starting-caliber safety in time.”
For the most part, Jones’ vision has materialized. Wilcox has been in the lineup each week for a secondary that looks as solid as it has in a long time.
On offense, the running game has shown similar improvement. Although DeMarco Murray has been the driving force in its resurgence, Randle has been a factor. Taken in the fifth round in 2013, he has emerged as Murray’s primary backup — stinging opposing defenses and averaging 6.7 yards per carry.
Put the individual contributions together, and the 2013 class has coalesced into one of the finer ones the Cowboys have had in recent memory.
“It’s neat to think about,” Williams said.
“It’s nice to see,” Escobar added.
But it wasn’t a perfect draft. Webb flamed out and was cut in August, while a spinal injury contributed to an early retirement for Holloman. Escobar, whom Jones viewed as a successor to Jason Witten and as a potential linchpin in a two-tight-end attack, hasn’t been consistently good. But it would be hard to find anyone who would say the Cowboys haven’t extracted plenty out of this group.
“We felt like they were the right kind of guys,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “We felt like they were talented. They want to be good and they work at it every day. So it’s our job to give them opportunities, and each of those guys has taken advantage of it.”
Their impact has been significant for a franchise that has aimed to rectify its salary-cap situation with cost-efficient moves while remaining competitive.
Together, they have helped changed the trajectory of an organization that was stuck in a rut after three 8-8 seasons.
“Being able to have a draft where you get three, four, five starters or significant players, you have done well, and certainly you’re pushing your franchise in the right direction,” Jones said. “I think it’s a solid group that should get better. They’re young players, and if they mature off the field and mature on the field, all of them should have a bright future.”
Which should lead to more wins for the Cowboys down the road.
Cowboys' 2013 draftees
Rd. Pk. Pos. Player G* GS* Rainer Sabin comment
1 31 C Travis Frederick 23 23 Has allowed 31/2 sacks in career; key piece on offensive line
2 47 TE Gavin Escobar 23 1 Only 16 career catches for 289 yards, but five went for TDs
3 74 WR Terrance Williams 23 15 In less than two seasons, 63 catches for 1,074 yards, 11 TDs
3 80 S J.J. Wilcox 20 12 Has emerged as a starter in second season
4 114 CB B.W. Webb 15 0 Had one pass breakup as a rookie; cut in August
5 151 RB Joseph Randle 20 2 Solid backup has averaged 6.7 yards per carry this season
6 185 LB DeVonte Holloman 9 2 Spinal injury forced him to retire in August
RAINER SABIN Staff Writer
Published: 22 October 2014 10:33 PM
Updated: 23 October 2014 02:58 PM
IRVING — For so long, Gavin Escobar was an outlier in his draft class.
The former second-round pick wasn’t especially productive and remained confined to the margins of the roster, surfacing occasionally before disappearing again. He wasn’t like Travis Frederick, Terrance Williams, J.J. Wilcox or Joseph Randle — players who had defined roles and made regular contributions.
Then came Sunday, when Escobar was catapulted onto center stage at AT&T Stadium, where he caught two touchdown passes in a victory over the New York Giants that lifted Dallas to a 6-1 record.
Just like that, the Cowboys’ 2013 draft haul sparkled even more. It has become hard to believe for those who questioned this group when it was assembled. Back then, few outsiders would have declared a victory for the Cowboys’ braintrust as they left the war room at Valley Ranch.
The seven players taken — Frederick, Escobar, Williams, Wilcox, B.W. Webb, Randle and DeVonte Holloman — didn’t jump off the page.
The Cowboys’ detractors found plenty to criticize. They ripped Dallas for passing on Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd and LSU safety Eric Reid. They questioned why the Cowboys didn’t take any of the 40 defensive linemen picked.
They also claimed the Cowboys had been hoodwinked in a trade that ultimately proved a boon. The Cowboys’ decision to trade down in the first round netted them the 31st choice, used to take center Frederick, and a third-round pick with which they took Williams, who leads the team with six touchdown receptions this season.
Frederick and Williams are key cogs in an offense that is fourth in points scored and third in yards per game. Wilcox, meanwhile, has emerged as a starter in his second season. Although he is still in the early stages of development, he filled an immediate need in the 2013 draft after Gerald Sensabaugh was cut.
“One of the things we targeted was a safety,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said. “We felt like he could be a really good starting-caliber safety in time.”
For the most part, Jones’ vision has materialized. Wilcox has been in the lineup each week for a secondary that looks as solid as it has in a long time.
On offense, the running game has shown similar improvement. Although DeMarco Murray has been the driving force in its resurgence, Randle has been a factor. Taken in the fifth round in 2013, he has emerged as Murray’s primary backup — stinging opposing defenses and averaging 6.7 yards per carry.
Put the individual contributions together, and the 2013 class has coalesced into one of the finer ones the Cowboys have had in recent memory.
“It’s neat to think about,” Williams said.
“It’s nice to see,” Escobar added.
But it wasn’t a perfect draft. Webb flamed out and was cut in August, while a spinal injury contributed to an early retirement for Holloman. Escobar, whom Jones viewed as a successor to Jason Witten and as a potential linchpin in a two-tight-end attack, hasn’t been consistently good. But it would be hard to find anyone who would say the Cowboys haven’t extracted plenty out of this group.
“We felt like they were the right kind of guys,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “We felt like they were talented. They want to be good and they work at it every day. So it’s our job to give them opportunities, and each of those guys has taken advantage of it.”
Their impact has been significant for a franchise that has aimed to rectify its salary-cap situation with cost-efficient moves while remaining competitive.
Together, they have helped changed the trajectory of an organization that was stuck in a rut after three 8-8 seasons.
“Being able to have a draft where you get three, four, five starters or significant players, you have done well, and certainly you’re pushing your franchise in the right direction,” Jones said. “I think it’s a solid group that should get better. They’re young players, and if they mature off the field and mature on the field, all of them should have a bright future.”
Which should lead to more wins for the Cowboys down the road.
Cowboys' 2013 draftees
Rd. Pk. Pos. Player G* GS* Rainer Sabin comment
1 31 C Travis Frederick 23 23 Has allowed 31/2 sacks in career; key piece on offensive line
2 47 TE Gavin Escobar 23 1 Only 16 career catches for 289 yards, but five went for TDs
3 74 WR Terrance Williams 23 15 In less than two seasons, 63 catches for 1,074 yards, 11 TDs
3 80 S J.J. Wilcox 20 12 Has emerged as a starter in second season
4 114 CB B.W. Webb 15 0 Had one pass breakup as a rookie; cut in August
5 151 RB Joseph Randle 20 2 Solid backup has averaged 6.7 yards per carry this season
6 185 LB DeVonte Holloman 9 2 Spinal injury forced him to retire in August