Cowboys Draft Player Profile - Rd 4, Charles Tapper, DE, Oklahoma

http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-cowboys/cowboys/2016/05/24/bob-sturms-cowboys-player-profile-4th-rounder-charles-tapper-real-value-develop

This is part of my series to film study each of the Cowboys draft picks who were not covered prior to the draft.  Today is the 4th-round pick, DE Charles Tapper. We will follow the template from the 50 profiles done pre-draft in the early spring.

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I have never been a scout or a NFL general manager, but I am willing to watch a ton of football. By watching about 200 snaps of each prospect, we can really get a feel for a player and then know what we are talking about a bit better. It is no exact science, but the NFL hasn't quite figured out drafting either, so we are going to do the best we can. To read more about the 2016 NFL Draft Project, click here.

Charles Tapper, DE, Oklahoma - 6-foot-2, 271 pounds - senior - No. 91

The 4th round of the NFL draft has produced some interesting picks for the Cowboys over the years and there have been some important pieces secured. Without question, the finest have been offensive linemen like Tom Rafferty (No. 119 in 1976), Pat Donovan (No. 90 in 1975), John Fitzgerald (No. 101 in 1970) and Doug Free (No. 122 in 2007). Additionally, Tony Tolbert (No. 85 in 1989), Bradie James (No. 103 in 2003) and Chris Canty (No. 132 in 2005) all have served as key defensive pieces. The team also has recently found some running backs of various levels of quality -- Marion Barber (No. 109 in 2005) and reserve roster player Tashard Choice (No. 122 in 2008). 

However, since Doug Free was picked in 2007, this has been a rather barren wasteland in terms of finding starters or key pieces. In fact, several of these Round 4 pieces have had trouble ever stepping on the field for Dallas -- LB Brandon Williams in 2009, DB Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, DB Matt Johnson, QB Stephen McGee and OL David Arkin all produced only punchlines in these parts. Others like Victor Butler or B.W. Webb are sold as potential developmental pieces, but never materialize. Anthony Hitchens seems a very solid pro and hopes are still high for Damien Wilson, but the team could really use some 4th-round dividends from their two picks this year -- Tapper and QB Dak Prescott.

With three picks in the 3rd and 4th rounds at the draft, the Cowboys seemed to have the plan of taking two DL pieces and a QB. In the 3rd round, they selected the 3-technique in Maliek Collins. In the 4thround, they had high hopes of grabbing Connor Cook at No. 101 until the Raiders snuck up to No. 100 and sabotaged that idea. The Cowboys then decided that Prescott was not worth that pick, so they went DL there and tried to get their QB down at No. 135. It worked.  

Tapper clearly is one they have plans for right away as they wanted to fortify the defensive line with numbers and talent.

What I liked: Tapper is best known for his position-best 40-yard dash time at the combine (4.59 with a 1.59 10-yard split), for which he was down to 271 after playing around 280 in the fall. He is a defensive end who can move a little in tight quarters and obviously has some impressive straight-line speed. He has a little chase in his game and there are definitely times when you will see a red-hot motor. He played the defensive end for Oklahoma, which is basically a 5-technique, 2-gap technique in run spots and more of a typical 4-3 DE on passing downs. This allowed him to make quite a few plays in his time at Oklahoma, where he had 15.5 sacks and 26.5 tackles for loss over three seasons as a starter -- despite playing in a system many would suggest was asking him to sacrifice for the scheme. He has a bull-rush that can put tackles on roller skates and he has a surprising spin move that opens up many opportunities to get to the QB. He also is able to get the football, having stripped the ball four different times last season alone. He stands up well against the run, where he will not get pushed around, and also has a bit of a pass rush in him. He certainly appears to be a decent idea as a strong-side defensive end and has a chance to be 290 by his second season. He plays with some infectious emotion at times.

What I did not like: There are long stretches when Tapper is not a real factor as he gets neutralized at the snap and doesn't have a full array of moves. The idea is that his skill set is not fully developed between very limited playing time in high school and 2-gapping in Norman. The Cowboys are pretty sure they can teach him the tactics he will need, but for now, I might classify his arsenal as "raw." His quickness is not going to blow you away (I was certainly expecting a little more twitchiness from a sub-4.6 DE) and he will get hung up in traffic on his way to the play. I think this stiffness will keep him from being a real pass-rush threat, but that certainly is not what the Cowboys were targeting here. They wanted a strong player with versatility and I think that much is evident. It should also be pointed out -- as you can tell in the video -- that he put up a lot of his production against Kansas and Iowa State. They all count, but as we try to convert that to Sundays, we must be somewhat skeptical how that translates.

Summary and potential fit with the Cowboys: It is very important to understand where the bar is at in the 4th round. If you can get a rotational fit with pick No. 101, you have to be pleased. This is not a point in the draft where you find flawless players who should step right in and start. Instead, you find pieces that seem like solid rotational players who might be able to find higher spots on your depth chart if they can be developed. I think the Cowboys have quietly assembled a defensive line that has very little sparkle with name recognition, but has plenty of young talent that might grow together and become something decent.

DeMarcus Lawrence is 24, Tyrone Crawford 26, Randy Gregory 23, Benson Mayowa 24, Jack Crawford 27, Ryan Russell 24, Cedric Thornton 27, David Irving 22, and now they add Maliek Collins at 21, and Tapper, 23. Those are 10 players on the defensive line who are an average of 24 years old. Now, is there enough quality there to scare anyone? The only one they are paying big money to is Tyrone Crawford. Everyone else will get a big chance to prove they deserve a check. Tapper is right in that mix. He has tools but needs to polish the rough edges and show he can contribute on Sundays.

But, for me, he is exactly the type of piece you try to get in the 4thround. He has a chance to be of great value. 

You can view plenty of his tape here at Draftbreakdown.com.

Cowboys Player Profile - Terrance Williams

http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-cowboys/cowboys/2016/05/19/bob-sturms-cowboys-profile-series-terrance-williams-faces-big-year-future

Terrance Williams

Position: Wide receiver

Size: 6-foot-2, 208 pounds

Age: 26 (9/8/89)

College: Baylor

Drafted: Dallas -- Round 3, Pick 74 in 2013

Experience: 3 seasons

Salary history and contract status: Williams is in the final year of his 4-year, $2.9 million dollar rookie contract that guaranteed $619,000. In 2016, he counts $1.6M base salary in 2016 and a $1.8M cap hit.  He will become an unrestricted free agent after the 2016 season.

2013 draft profile from Ourlads.com: 6'2/208/4.51 ...  Three-year starter who is a fifth year senior.  Has played in 51 games in his career.  Played in a spread zone based offense that distributes the ball to a variety of receivers and backs.  Concentration and courage to catch over the middle.  Soft hands.  Holds the ball on contact.  Good sized receiver who will compete for the ball in the air.  Two of his biggest catches in 2011 were vertical '9' routes catching the ball for touchdowns versus Texas and Oklahoma.  He can beat press man coverage off the line with his quick feet.  Good contact balance to keep his feet after hit and get yards after catch. Uses a stiff arm to ward off low tacklers.  Good cutting ability in space.  He has also made the layout diving catches.  An NFL caliber productive athlete who built on his strong junior year averaging over 18 yards per catch.  A three level receiver who can go vertical and make the tough over the shoulder catch.  Can separate with strength and a quick burst.  An outside pass catcher who is athletic after catch.  Ability to break tackles and split defenders.  Eventual starter with developmental time.  Caught 202 passes in his career.  2012 stats: 97-1832, 18.9 ypr, 12 TD.  Second/Third Round.

Pre-2015:  Williams began his career in Dallas as the "bonus pick" the Cowboys received for trading back in the draft with San Francisco.  They received the 31st and 74th picks to trade their 18th selection in 2013 with the 49ers and walked away with Travis Frederick and Williams.  Most draft historians give that a pretty excellent value grade, but also note that Keenan Allen was taken 2 picks later (#76) by the Chargers.  Williams jumped right into the action in 2013 when Miles Austin was playing his last season across from Dez Bryant.  His first massive impact was the shootout against the Broncos in early October when he caught all 4 passes thrown to him for 151 yards and a touchdown.  He has definitely helped cement the "Baylor WR" stereotypes of having a very limited route tree, but electric results when the team connects on one of those bread and butter routes.  In 2014, with a healthy Dez Bryant on the field demanding safety support, Williams ran more "go" routes than anyone in the football.  In fact, over 40% of his pass plays are some variation of the simple 9 route.  Most of the rest have been slants and digs, and on several occasions -- including the 2014 Wildcard game against Detroit -- Williams has shown that if you allow a slant, he can take it 70-80 yards in a blink of an eye.  As a 2nd WR, he would at least be considered league average.  He has limited productivity, but with Bryant and Jason Witten on the field and the team running the ball over half the time, it all seems by design.  He plays the "Alvin Harper" role well.  

2015: Last season, the conversation changed.  The events on the field required Williams to try to fill the role left by Bryant when Dez missed a number of games in September and October.  In fairness to Williams, the QB play was substandard for most of the year and there were several verifiable moments where he was open and Brandon Weeden and Matt Cassel either missed seeing him completely or missed the throw. During the Weeden stretch of starts (Games 3-5) where the backup QB seemed determined to never throw the ball down the field and risk a turnover, the team attempted 18 passes to Williams of assorted lengths and Weeden connected on 5 for 79 yards.  That 4.4 yards per attempt is enough to make an offense cry and shows why revisionist history cannot save the Weeden run in Dallas.  It was about RB completions on repeated check downs and punt.  The production returned with Cassel (although so did a number of interceptions in New York) and then upon Dez Bryant's return, some of the production returned, too.  Williams did not drop many passes, but the team could not get him the ball often enough.  He definitely had some highlight moments to show his improvement on physical plays that required aerial wins.  But in total, he was disappointing as a #1 WR. In fairness, he really never got to play much in that role with competent QB play to show whether it was him, defenses keying on his strengths with extra coverage since Dez was gone, the QB, or the ultra conservative game plans that the team tried to win with.  He ended the year with a career-high day against the Redskins as he caught 8 passes in 9 attempts for 173 yards -- which certainly helped his season stat line improve cosmetically.  But, to be fair, if anyone deserved a final week of numbers to prop up a disappointing season, given what Williams had to work with in 2015, perhaps it was him.

2016 analysis: It is vital that Williams has a big year, if for no other reason to ensure he has a 2nd contract offer from the Cowboys.  He has a lot in his favor, including some very high-end moments where he demonstrates his value, the fact he does look like an effective book-end (albeit with limitations) for an offense centered around running the ball and Dez Bryant, and he has played in 48 of the 48 games in his career.  That said, almost without fail, there seems to be some uncertainty about whether the Cowboys should lock up the soon-to-be-27-year-old or to draft his replacement.  Given that the best WR behind Williams for that spot is either Devin Street or Brice Butler, the team certainly doesn't have anybody that looks like an 80- snap guy ready to replace him. 

Looking at comparable players from the 2011 and 2012 draft classes, the results are all over the board for 2nd contract offers.  Mohamed Sanu, who was significantly less productive than Williams, pocketed a 5yr/$32.5M deal ($14M Guaranteed) from Atlanta this spring.  The same is true for Travis Benjamin, who signed a 4yr/$24M ($13M Guaranteed) with San Diego.  Less production, great money.  On the other hand, the Giants received very similar numbers from Rueben Randle -- despite a lesser role for most of his time there -- and then did not offer him anything at the end of his contract and the player who just turned 25 signed in Philadelphia for next to nothing 1yr/$1.5M (no guarantee).  There is more to a player than just stats, but as you can see, those offers are all over the board.

He is a complicated study.  He is always on the field, yet is a guy who averages about 45 yards a game in his career and has never been close to 1,000 yards.  At the same time, he has made some huge catches at huge moments and gets in the end zone which is a rather important attribute.  Bottom line, the Cowboys get Williams for 2016 at a very cheap price.  But, that will change in 2017.  Either they decide to pay him between $6-$7M per season to keep him or they draft his replacement in 2017's draft and start all over again.  Since I don't anticipate any sort of summer/training camp extension, I assume Williams' job in 2016 will determine their decision.

Cowboys Player Profile - Tyrone Crawford

http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-cowboys/cowboys/2016/05/10/bob-sturms-cowboys-player-profile-tyrone-crawford-return-full-strength-vital-2016

Tyrone Crawford

Position: Defensive tackle

Size: 6-foot-4, 290 pounds

Age: 26, 11/22/89

College: Boise State

Drafted: Dallas 2012 -- Round 3, Pick 81

Experience: Four seasons

Salary History and Contract Status: Crawford is entering the 1st year of a 5-year extension that totaled 5 years/$45 million with a guarantee of $24.6m on September 12, 2015.  Then, on March 10, his contract was restructured to convert 5.5m of his 2016 base salary to a bonus spread over the length of the deal.  This lowered his 2016 cap hit from 8.7m to 4.3m.  The cap hits for the other four years of his deal are 2017: $10.3m, 2018: $9.1m, 2019: $10.1m, and 2020: $9.1m. 

2012 Draft Profile From Ourlads.com: 6'4, 275, 4.85 - One-Year starter. Canadian, Junior college transfer from Bakersfield Community College.  Flashes first step explosiveness.  Has the length and strength in his game.  Quick up-field and laterally.  Accelerates off a block to get to the ball carrier.  Doesn't stay blocked.  A good, but not fluid athlete. Needs to improve his hand-use as a pass rusher and when shedding blocks.  Plays with raw power and functional strength but needs technique work.  Can hold the point of attack.  Possesses the tools to be a left base defensive end in a four-man front or get work as a 5-technique in a three-man scheme. Has the strength to two-gap.  Will need pro physical development and position skill work.  Has an injury history. Fourth/fifth Round.

Pre-2015: Crawford was one of the very rare defensive linemen that the Cowboys drafted in 2012 to help with their 3-4 defense, only to change schemes one year into his career.  He played 296 snaps of largely forgettable football in his rookie season and then as the Cowboys switched coordinators and schemes in 2013, he fell to a torn Achilles early in camp and missed his entire sophomore year.  To his great credit, he returned in 2014 with a larger and stronger build, played 624 snaps (mostly all at the 3-technique as the under tackle in Rod Marinelli's front) and was bordering on dominant.  He finished 2nd in '14 in splash plays with 23.5 - averaging one disruptive play for every 26 snaps he was on the field.  His traditional statistics were pedestrian (3 sacks), but anyone watching the team saw that the 24-year old was breaking out while also entering the final year of his small rookie contract in 2015 (4 years/$2.7m). 

2015 Summary: The Cowboys pounced on making sure they locked up this bull in the middle of their defensive line to a market-value deal (5/$45m) right as the season was starting.  Subsequently, he opened the season with a very solid Week 1 against the Giants before getting hurt against the Eagles in Week 2 with a torn rotator cuff. Crawford continued to play each and every week totaling 706 snaps and grabbing a career-high 5 sacks and 44 tackles. His splash play total fell to 11.5 and just one splash every 61 snaps. His strength had dropped substantially and he was also getting the attention of game plans more often, causing the Cowboys a little bit of contract indigestion.  Despite the drop-off in disruption, he continued to labor through the pain and show up every week -- showing incredible toughness -- before going under the knife to repair his shoulder in early January. His recovery is progressing and the Cowboys expect no issues by July. Look at the sack below against the Jets and focus on how much pain Crawford appears to be in after the play.  

2016 Analysis:  Having Tyrone Crawford healthy is vital as he is one of the few who have demonstrated the ability to be difference makers on the defensive front. Because of the suspensions to Randy Gregory and DeMarcus Lawrence, it appears the Cowboys are strongly considering opening the season with Crawford demonstrating his positional versatility by filling defensive end in the month those two pieces are missing. We can debate the merits of that thinking -- moving your most expensive investment on your front 7 to fill in for lesser pieces out of necessity -- but, adding Cedric Thornton to this line might actually allow this idea to work. The Cowboys do have enough players in the front with some level of positional flex (Crawford, Thornton, Jack Crawford) that they might be decent with that look.  Regardless, at this age and at this salary, Tyrone Crawford is a vital piece if they can get him back to his dominant 2014 form.  And at his current price tag, they are counting on that to happen in 2016.

Also Read: Xs and Os Breakdown - Tyrone Crawford - November 2014

A Breakdown of RB Ryan Williams

Dallas Cowboys running back Ryan Williams takes a shot on hole 18 during the Dallas Cowboys annual golf tournament on Wednesday, May 13, 2015 at Cowboys Golf Club in Grapevine, Texas. (Ashley Landis/The Dallas Morning News)

The Cowboys RB situation is murky at the moment and I am trying to sort out which of the quartet they currently have in their stable is the most likely to emerge as their leading rusher in 2015.  Darren McFadden has the largest body of work in the NFL and there are two others that we know quite well as Lance Dunbar and Joseph Randle have played their entire careers in Dallas.

Personally, I don't believe McFadden is a #1 anymore, based on his 3 year streak of averaging less than 3.4 yards per carry over nearly 500 runs.  Now, it is possible that he was just held down by a poor offensive line in Oakland, but that is a very discouraging trend.  2011 was a very long time ago.

Dunbar and Randle are both interesting in their own ways, but Dunbar will always be a change-up back that is just too small (195 lbs) to be considered for more than that.  Randle has the best chance, but his habits of self-sabotage are certainly not enough to evoke waves of belief from the public.

Between now and camp, I will try to break down all 3 of their resumes with a similar post to this one, but this is dedicated to the 2nd round pick in the 2011 draft out of Virginia Tech, Ryan Williams.

Williams is one of those players who might simply just never be healthy enough to realize his potential, but he has the ultimate attribute of those who get us all excited - he flashes high-level ability on a regular basis.  He looks the part.  If only his body could withstand the NFL punishment.  If it could, runs like this would be available every time he touches the ball:

Above, you see the acceleration, the strength, the explosiveness, and the wiggle that you want to see in a RB at this level.  He darts through a hole with fine vision and then blows through a weak arm tackle attempt to find his way into the secondary.  At that point, he sees a safety in space and tries to run him right over by getting low and powering through for a 14-yard smash.

And yet, after being taken in the 2011 draft, we sit here in the summer of 2015 waiting for his career to leave the station.  What gives?  Evidently, his body.  A patella tendon here, a shoulder there, and many more ailments have kept him from becoming a force to be reckoned with.  In 3 seasons in Arizona, he played in 5 games.  Then, last season (2014) he spent the whole year on the Cowboys practice squad, despite dazzling us in August.

Then, in January, they signed him to a 2-year deal that covers 2015 and 2016.  So, clearly, they see something.  They are interested in him sorting out all of this ability and getting his body to a level where it can handle what the sports asks of it.  And this belief has made many of you think he might be the guy to emerge when the dust settles.

Let's go back to the 2011 draft, where the guys at Ourlads draft guide wrote him up like this:

Virginia Tech, 5093 212 4.61. Junior entry. Started 18 games in his career. Played in only five games last season due to a hamstring injury. Breakout year was his redshirt freshman year in 2009 when he rushed for 1655 yards and 21 TDs. Runs low where he gives very little hitting surface for the defense. Natural instincts and feel for running the ball. Finishes his runs. Can make a defender miss by power or shake in the open field. A feature runner who has good inside vision and the ability to create positive yardage on poorly blocked plays. The Hokies use both the spread and I-formation. Presses the hole and accelerates through the hole with good body lean, strength, and power. Good contact balance and run after first contact. Gets downhill quickly off tackle on the toss sweeps. Flashes a burst around the edge. Usually schemed to get outside. Has caught only 30 passes in his career, but is a natural hand catcher. Wants the ball at crunch time. Question ball security and durability issues. 2010 stats: 477 yards, 4.3 ypc, 10 receptions, 10 TDs. OSR:13/36. Second/third round. (A-30 3/4, H-9, BP-19, SS-4.18).

I think they did a pretty nice job of nailing this report.  As I looked at him from his work in the 2014 preseason, I tend to agree with most of it - as emphasized with underlines.

After looking hard at the preseason games against the Ravens and Dolphins, I wanted to show you him in a number of situations.  Here is what we have:

Man Blocking - G Power

The Cowboys developed into a team last year that was constantly switching back and forth between man and zone blocking.  They were very successful at pulling OL around the corner and destroying defenders at the point of attack.  This requires a bit more from a RB as he has to control his speed and wait for the guards to determine his path.  Here is Williams in that setting:

There wasn't much there, but he cut back inside and found 7 yards on a play that might have gone for nothing if he wasn't as elusive and determined.  A very nice job for a play that wasn't blocked well.

Here, in a goal-line situation, he also demonstrated a nice feel for his run as he waits for the guard to get out to the edge, then gets small and burrows into the end zone.  He is very good at finding yards with the ball.

Zone Blocking

While the Cowboys enjoy man-blocking more and more, the zone runs are still the bread and butter.  Here are a few of those:

There is that burst.  No hesitation.  Once he sees a crease he is at top speed and into the secondary in the blink of an eye.  This, again, is top shelf stuff.  He is small, but strong.  Keep in mind in all of these runs he is not working with a Cowboys OL.  He is working with those who were on the line in the 4th Quarter - mostly all cut last August.

And then there is this inside zone that he bounces out, runs over a safety, and explodes again for a huge 27-yard run that really put him on the map.  Look how low the safety is and then see Williams actually go down and match the pad-level while hardly breaking stride.  Magnificent work.

Receiving

If we want a versatile back, we need someone comfortable catching the ball.  So, is Williams passable at that?  Easily.

I really think he actually looks more comfortable as a receiver than anything we have seen around here in a while.  On 3rd downs, you can dump him the ball and he will find the sticks in space with that explosion, elusiveness, and wiggle that he offers.  This might be a real factor and he might provide the open-field ability of Dunbar, but with a versatility that can run inside or outside as well.  

Here is another one.  3rd and 7, simple release route and the chains move.  Quite a weapon.

Pass Protection

OK.  Here is the issue.  Aside from health, the Cowboys consider the RB position a spot where the RB "must be trusted".  This means, you have an assignment in passing situations:  Can you A) find that right guy to block and B) get him blocked.

Invariably, when visiting with the coaches or scouts about Williams, it always comes back to this topic.  Even more so than durability, it is the dreaded question of whether he can be trusted to see a blitz-protection situation like the QB and OL do, and then, at 5'9, 207, can he get a blitzing LB or Safety blocked.  Without question, the biggest attribute that made DeMarco Murray beloved in that huddle is that he routinely passed this test with flying colors.  He knew who to block and how to block them.

Williams has one way to get LBs blocked - and that is to go low with the chop.  Here he does it well.  No problems.  

Here is another one below where he does it again.  Goes low on a LB.  Now, you are saying, what is the problem?  Well, this is a sample size issue.  If he is a regular and teams see that when he is in there, his only plan is to go low, then they have counter moves to work around that.  There are not many RBs, who do not take you on with a shoulder on their feet, who can pull off this 1 technique consistently.  LBs are too athletic and will just leap over.  Also, cutting low and running into thighs and knees are not a fantastic way to stay healthy.  Those are big bruise moments.  

Now, the play below is tough to see, but watch 34 choose the wrong gap and over-run the LB he is supposed to get.  You can't see it, but Dustin Vaughan gets hit pretty hard here as he throws.  That is really the test.  A blitzing LB on both A-gaps of the center.  The RB gets the nearest one, straight-up.  But, for a moment, he thought he had to get the other one (on the opposite A-gap).  This confusion goes back to their questions of whether he always knows where he is supposed to be and can be trusted to simply be there when teams are trying to confuse him in huge spots.

So, there is a look at Williams.  I think he is very good with the ball in his hands and a dynamic play-maker.

But, can he stay healthy?  There are many that don't believe he can.

And can he earn the trust of the offensive brain trust to be that guy who knows who to block and more importantly, how to block them?  You or I could learn the protection schemes, but we aren't blocking Mychal Kendricks or Bobby Wagner if they run through an open A-gap.  Knowing where to be is only half the battle.  Then, without cut-blocking every time, can he stand and deliver a shoulder?  We have seen McFadden do it.  We have even seen Randle do it.

Dallas Cowboys running back Ryan Williams (34) breaks away from Baltimore Ravens linebacker Austin Spitler (54) for a touchdown during the second half of play in a preseason game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Saturday, August 16, 2014. The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Dallas Cowboys 37-30. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)

But, the key to Williams stepping up and being counted in August will be his ability to pass those tests.  Stay healthy and block your man.  Because he is not a big special teams guy (or really a special teams guy, at all), he has to be better than Dunbar and Randle at all RB duties.  Those two, at worst, can be on all of the special teams.  So, he better be able to master blitz-pickups.

A fascinating player and one who drips with upside.  But, unfortunately, his time is running short.  He is now 25 years old, 4 drafts removed from his rookie year, and this camp may be his biggest yet.

Can't wait to see what he is able to do this summer to try to get in this mix.

Have a question for Bob? Ask it here for his chat at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

Cowboys Draft Profile - Rd 4, Pick #127 - Damien Wilson, LB, Minnesota

Now that the draft is over, let's study the selections the Cowboys made who we have not previously studied by giving them the same 200-snap treatment and try to see more on why Dallas found them worthy of selection when they did.

Find all the profiles here.

Damien Wilson, LB,  Minnesota - 6'0, 245 - Senior - 4.77 40 

There was a time in the not-too-distant past where the Cowboys had to play a game with multiple "street free agents" in the lineup at linebacker due to a real lack of depth.  Now, no disrespect intended to Ernie Sims and Brady Poppinga, but the 2012 season dissolved partially because when someone was injured and moved to the IR - Sean Lee and Bruce Carter that year - there were no suitable options on the roster, so the search for street free agents begins in earnest.  That season, Sims played more snaps (374) than all the linebackers besides DeMarcus Ware, Anthony Spencer, and Bruce Carter despite not being employed before Week 7.  That year, he was signed off his couch on October 24th, and then played 60 snaps in several different games as the team withered on the vine, partially to lack of NFL players on their roster.  Couch signings are very bad for teams that are serious about contending.

So, for the last few years, we have seen the Cowboys take linebackers in the 4th round in consecutive seasons to build NFL-ready depth.  The idea and philosophy is simple.  Linebacker is the Running back of the defense - but you need 3 starters instead of 1.  What does that mean?  It means that they should be understood to be somewhat fungible (to use a Jerry Jones term) or interchangeable assets.  It is a very physical position and if you look at positions on the field where most injuries occur and games are missed, look no further than linebacker.

You must have several capable LBs on your roster to avoid couch signings.  In a 4-3, you will have 3 starters, but you better assume the 3 reserves behind those starters will also play significantly.  Last year, 5 linebackers played over 200 snaps and a 6th, Lee, was on IR all season.   Almost no linebackers will be available for 16 games, so let's have 6 who we are fine with playing lots of downs.

This brings us to Damien Wilson, a player who was drafted to be one of those - like Hitchens last year, who may not be a NFL starter in year 1, but if developed properly he should be a starter down the road.  That is what you are looking for in Round 4, pick #127.  A player with developmental skills who is capable of being "coached up" and taught the NFL way so that when a player gets hurt, Wilson can run onto the field and fill the void.

He is a player who was not valued out of high school, went to Alcorn State for a year and than a community college for another before landing in Minnesota for 2013 and 2014.  There, he converted from DE to middle LB after dropping weight and became a "run and hit" LB.  That is best defined as a player who you can have cover targets (RB/TE) with effectiveness and  "keep clean" and allow him to diagnose and attack the play downhill with limited or no OL obstacles between him and the ball.  Easier said than done, of course, but that is the idea.

Wilson wears #5 and plays Middle Linebacker for the Golden Gophers and I looked hard at his games against Purdue, Nebraska, and Ohio State:
The play above was disallowed due to the offsides play, but focus on #5 jumping the route, making the play, and then hitting the turbo to head for the end zone. 

What I liked:   Wilson is a player who is always on the move and while he doesn't have a 40-time that separates him from his group, he does have an explosiveness on tape that does emerge when there is a play to be made.  He was amongst the leaders in the Big 10 (3rd) for total tackles with 119 and also produced 10.5 tackles for loss and even 4 sacks in 2014.  He plays every down for the Gophers which doesn't always translate to the NFL and the higher caliber athletes to deal with, but he is plenty athletic enough to be a 3rd down factor.  In fact, I would not be surprised if he is almost the opposite of most LBs, in that 3rd down might be his forte and what they had in mind when selecting him.  They are not populated with too many LBs who can run with TEs/RBs, so Wilson fills a spot that has been needed.  He has long arms and although he doesn't know what he is doing with them when it comes to shedding techniques, the Cowboys coaches are optimistic that they can clean up his technique to make him more effective in traffic.  However, he is tenacious and full of the type of characteristics you seek and should help the special teams immediately.


What I did not like:  There is generally a catch when you see many promising things and still get the player at #127.  For Wilson, I observed a few things that the Cowboys will need to get worked through as his career develops.  First, as I hinted at above, almost every time an offensive linemen got their hands on him, it was over.  He was unable to shed and disengage hardly ever.  This is clearly not ideal, but again, with his tools, you would hope this is fixable.  The other thing might require even more work - his instincts seem to betray him quite a bit.  Below, you can see one of many plays that were spotted where he seemed to bite hard on fakes, whether it was the zone-read game that Ohio State had (the play here resulted in JT Barrett running 86 yards for a touchdown) or play-action or just a simple run fake.  Play fast, but you also have to carry out your assignment.  Eat the cheese too much, and you get caught in the trap and if you are playing middle LB, then the middle of the field is exposed to a big play that can cost you the game.  He needs more eye discipline, but I think this comes with more understanding of offenses and film study.  Sometimes, one false step is all the opponent needs.

Summary:  They want athletes and bodies with upside to add all over the roster.  They clearly needed a LB and here is one who might actually project to the coveted "Will" LB spot rather than "Mike" as he played in college.  The Will is kept clean and able just to seek and destroy his man as a "run and hit" LB.  Wilson has some significant issues to work through, but the Cowboys are confident, given the success of the Anthony Hitchens 2014, that the coaches can get Wilson ready to roll in no time and perhaps reap the proceeds of his high upside.  This league requires LBs who can run and he has that ability and also other athletic attributes (long arms, impressive explosion) that lead you to believe he has a a chance to be a real value late in the 4th round.  In the meantime, they will count on him to be a key player on the punt and kick teams.

It will be interesting to see how he develops.

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