IRVING, Texas -- The NFL draft is finally over and with that we've got some leftover items from what happened over the last three days.
*Yes the Cowboys are shopping cornerback Mike Jenkins for a trade, but there appear to be no takers. A couple of big problems for Jenkins. While the front office has praised Jenkins, there appears to be some concern about his participation in the offseason program. It's voluntary, but when you're coming off shoulder surgery it would be nice if the medical staff saw you regularly. Jenkins is working out in Florida, and his conditioning is never a question, but working out at Valley Ranch would benefit him.
*You've seen the rest of the Cowboys draft and some of you don't like the picks. Look at it this way. Say the Cowboys hadn't made the deal for Morris Claiborne. The first-round pick would have been defensive lineman Michael Brockers from LSU and the second-round pick would have been, ready, hold on to your seats .... Utah State inside linebacker Bobby Wagner. He went to Seattle at 47 overall. Claiborne vs. Wagner/Brockers: Which is better?
*Seventh-round pick Caleb McSurdy got a visit from running backs coach Skip Peete and worked out at fullback. The Cowboys want McSurdy to play linebacker and special teams for now but down the line maybe McSurdy can move to fullback. The Cowboys have failed to develop a fullback the last few years. Shaun Chapas, a seventh-round pick last year, couldn't play it consistently.
*At the start of the fourth round, the Cowboys targeted outside linebacker Kyle Wilber and strong safety Matt Johnson. Both were acquired, Wilber at 113 overall and Johnson at 135 overall. "We targeted Wilber and Johnson as guys we wanted," team executive vice president Stephen Jones said. "And to get them both was a very pleasant surprise because those were the two when we started [the round] we had the one-two in terms of hoping one of them might be there for that first fourth-round pick and then to turn around and get them both was a good situation for us." Wilber is a strongside pass rusher with tremendous upside. Johnson has 17 career interceptions in college. He makes plays on the ball and can play center field and in the box.
*The Cowboys spent their first four picks on defensive players before selecting wide receiver Danny Coale from Virginia Tech. Team owner/general manager Jerry Jones said a defensive player was considered for the fifth-round pick as well. But Coale, a slot receiver, was taken instead. The Cowboys were not alone in thinking about improving their defenses through the draft. New England and Green Bay used their first six draft picks on defensive players. It was the first time two teams did that since 2002 when Tennessee and Indianapolis did it.
*Yes the Cowboys are shopping cornerback Mike Jenkins for a trade, but there appear to be no takers. A couple of big problems for Jenkins. While the front office has praised Jenkins, there appears to be some concern about his participation in the offseason program. It's voluntary, but when you're coming off shoulder surgery it would be nice if the medical staff saw you regularly. Jenkins is working out in Florida, and his conditioning is never a question, but working out at Valley Ranch would benefit him.
*You've seen the rest of the Cowboys draft and some of you don't like the picks. Look at it this way. Say the Cowboys hadn't made the deal for Morris Claiborne. The first-round pick would have been defensive lineman Michael Brockers from LSU and the second-round pick would have been, ready, hold on to your seats .... Utah State inside linebacker Bobby Wagner. He went to Seattle at 47 overall. Claiborne vs. Wagner/Brockers: Which is better?
*Seventh-round pick Caleb McSurdy got a visit from running backs coach Skip Peete and worked out at fullback. The Cowboys want McSurdy to play linebacker and special teams for now but down the line maybe McSurdy can move to fullback. The Cowboys have failed to develop a fullback the last few years. Shaun Chapas, a seventh-round pick last year, couldn't play it consistently.
*At the start of the fourth round, the Cowboys targeted outside linebacker Kyle Wilber and strong safety Matt Johnson. Both were acquired, Wilber at 113 overall and Johnson at 135 overall. "We targeted Wilber and Johnson as guys we wanted," team executive vice president Stephen Jones said. "And to get them both was a very pleasant surprise because those were the two when we started [the round] we had the one-two in terms of hoping one of them might be there for that first fourth-round pick and then to turn around and get them both was a good situation for us." Wilber is a strongside pass rusher with tremendous upside. Johnson has 17 career interceptions in college. He makes plays on the ball and can play center field and in the box.
*The Cowboys spent their first four picks on defensive players before selecting wide receiver Danny Coale from Virginia Tech. Team owner/general manager Jerry Jones said a defensive player was considered for the fifth-round pick as well. But Coale, a slot receiver, was taken instead. The Cowboys were not alone in thinking about improving their defenses through the draft. New England and Green Bay used their first six draft picks on defensive players. It was the first time two teams did that since 2002 when Tennessee and Indianapolis did it.
