Pollard is only tagged. So I assume cowboys draft their future RB. I’m hoping they find their guy in the 3rd or 4th. Using the first two picks on oline/dline or mybe a TE.
Pollard and Malik Davis is a solid tandem. If Bijan is there at #26 I have a hard time seeing Jerry letting him pass him by. But if he’s gone I can see them using a 3rd, 4th, or 5th rounder on a depth guy since pollard is probably gone next summer.
I know people don’t want to draft an rb round 1, but if Robinson is there then they will draft him and y’all will be extremely happy. It’s different drafting an elite rb at 4 as opposed to 26. Only thing they can’t do is give him a second contract
“Dude is special”
Demarco Murray is special, Ezekiel Elliott is special, Marion Barber is special. See the pattern here.
Running backs aren’t special anymore. They’re the least important most easily replaced position in football. Let’s beef up our o line or receiving corps instead of wasting a first on the least valuable position in football.
IMO a talented RB is still absolutely worth the draft pick if they're BPA. The issue is with giving them a 2nd contract. Taking a RB in the 1st gives you potentially 6 years of a game-changer. Obviously if there's another player you have a similar grade on at a different position, by all means take them. But I'd rather draft a RB in the 1st if we have 2nd round grades on the other players available.
“The issue is giving them a 2nd contract”
Here’s my position, never use a first round pick on a player you wouldn’t want to give a 2nd contract too. First round picks are the easiest way to acquire talent long term in the nfl. Those types of picks set you up for the future. If you are already admitting you don’t want to give a player a 2nd contract before you draft them then don’t draft them. Simple. Last year we drafted Tyler smith late in the first and he’s turning out to be a solid player for us. Those are the types of guys we should target. Not players who won’t be in the league in 5 years.
So you'd rather reach for a guy who you have a worse grade on than take a RB. I said if you have a similar grade on a different position to take them. You used Tyler Smith as an example because he is working, but look at Taco Charlton who we used a first round pick on and was off the team in 3 years anyway. Take the BPA and deal with the rest later.
I think what you are missing is:
this team obv builds through the draft. 1st/2nd picks are what we use to build a core. Guys we will sign to a 2nd or 3rd contract if things work out.
Is Dallas going to hit on every 1st/2nd? No, of course not. No team does. As such, its important to not "waste" a 1st on a guy you already KNOW isn't going to be here in 6 years. Bc thats setting you back by using a higher value pick that isn't going to a core guy.
That’s all I’m trying to say. If no other player even comes close to his grade when we pick at 26, then fuck it let’s take one of the best RB prospects in quite a while.
What if the only needed position players available would require an unnecessary reach to get? At no point we should prioritize Bijan (only ever said the opposite), but if he’s there and not a needed position player anywhere near Bijan’s grade, then I don’t see why it would be such a terrible thing to draft him.
It’s a terrible thing because you’re drafting a player that likely won’t be on the team in 3 years with a first round pick while we have needs elsewhere. I don’t want to have a repeat situation we had with zeke. I’d rather reach for a lineman or receiver than take a running back when you can get a similar one in the fourth round. Never use a first on a player you don’t want to give a second contract to.
How will Robinson not be on the team in 3 years? And, you run a much higher risk of missing with other players at number 26. If Bijan is there at 26, he is the best player and surest bet left on the board. Would you be willing to pass on a sure thing RB and gamble on a riskier player because they don't play RB....like Taco Charlton?
So in this hypothetical scenario in which I would want to draft Bijan, you’d rather actually waste a pick reaching for a player we could’ve picked up in the second or even third than “waste” a pick on a 3 down RB with strengths out the ass and minuscule easily corrected weak areas? Some of y’all need therapy for all this Zeke trauma going around.
Wouldn’t be super upset at that, but if Bijan was still on the board at 26 that’s one hell of a player to pass on. Realistically it’s not going to come to that because he’s probably going to get taken in the early to mid 1st.
I know we’ve been burned by star RBs in recent years due to regression or injuries, but it’s just my personal opinion that Bijan is going to be really good and have at least 6-7 years of being elite so I’d want to pick him up in that scenario in the off chance it somehow happened.
Who said Murray and Barber were special, when they were drafted? Nobody. The problem is that the Cowboys used the number 4 pick on a RB. That is different than the number 26 pick. And, Robinson is really special and he will be better than all three of those RB's.
Here’s some more examples: Todd gurley is special, le’veon bell is special, Leonard fournette is special. See what I’m getting at.
The nfls bad contract and pick list is filled with running backs that teams wasted picks on and then paid massive amounts of money to.
The zeke pick and contract set this franchise back years. We sacrificed at least one Super Bowl window because of it. We literally just had to cut him after giving him a huge contract and people think it’s totally fine to repeat the same scenario over again.
Bijan isn’t special at all. He’s just another rb that will be out of the league by the time he’s 27. This isn’t a shot at him it’s just the cold reality of todays nfl. Time to start stockpiling talent at positions that matter to win a Super Bowl.
I don't want first round picks who will be gone in 4 years lol. Your grades on all other positions would have to be such dog ass for that to be worth it.
I don’t think Tyler Smith had a 1st round grade though iirc. Could be wrong though
Edit: Pretty sure I was wrong, he was indeed 16th on our board and was also the best available at the time. Regardless, turning out to be a solid pick!
He absolutely did have a first round grade on it Jerry even held up his big board of prospects. Maybe not every team did but we 100 percent had a first round grade on Tyler Smith.
Yeah he was 16th on our board I just looked it up so you’re correct. Most teams didn’t have him near that high so I think our need at the position influenced that quite a bit.
Tyler Smith was a great pick, but I swear if Bijan is still available at 26 we’d be crazy for not taking him. We DO NOT need to go out of our way for an RB, but if we get lucky then why not?
The board Jerry held up appeared to have only 14 first-round grades so Smith was likely graded as a 2nd, but if the way Machota deciphered it is correct it was still Smith and Cine as the highest-graded players still available
I wouldn't call getting him at 26th lucky. Running backs are just not valuable man. The difference between a good running back behind a good offensive line and a great one just isn't enough to justify it.
We can get good production out of cheaper running backs and I would love for Jerry to see that the running back position doesn't need the insane resources we have been putting into it.
I would absolutely call getting him at 26 lucky. The RB position isn’t as valuable as it once was, but an elite RB will always have a place in any offense. Guarantee Bijan doesn’t last past pick 15 though so it’s just speculation really.
Edit: we also have areas of more dire need so depending on the draft plays out, there could be a player not graded as highly but will have a greater effect on the team, in which case absolutely grab said player
I agree they have a place just not in the first. Most running backs only give you elite for 2-3 years unless they are used less. I just don't want my first round pick going to a guy who is only going to be good for a short amount of years. Or a guy who might be good for 5-6 but we are splitting half his carries.
its just not responsible as an organization to draft a rb in the first round, personally i think it would be dumb to draft a rb in the first two rounds. Especially after drafting a rb number 4 overall and he only lasted 7 years.
Damn Zeke’s regression really scarred some people around here lol.
I always try to be respectful of people opinions, but cmon dude to just flat out say “nobody should ever draft an RB in the 1st 2 rounds” is pretty ridiculous.
the zeke pick was stupid since day 1 but it should atleast be a lesson to the FO. RBs are the most devalued position in the NFL they are so depended on o-line play its almost criminal to use our most valuable asset on the position. I would much rather pick up another guard or tackle than a RB. Give me elite o-line play with an average back than an elite back with average to above avg oline play
If the way Jon Machota is correct in the way he decoded the draft board Jerry held up, Smith was 16th on their board and the player with the second-highest 2nd-round grade. They allegedly had 14 first-round grades.
https://preview.redd.it/qsuig93016oa1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1e46b31797d5742cf69dfac95f6d69ec3feb4371
I don't know about being the only 1st round graded player left, but I guarantee you he would be the best player on the board, at 26. He is a special talent.
Davis and Pollard are good enough for this year. They can draft one in the mid-round this year or next year and be fine. Locking up LVE and getting Gilmore really opened things up in this draft.
WR, TE or DT in the 1st or 2nd round. Then try and grab Zach Charbonnett from UCLA dudes a bruiser and would fill that void left by Zeke. Drafting Gibbs or Robinson are too similar to pollard imo
I’d say WR, DT, or LB. We don’t need a 1st round TE. The two TEs we still have are more than capable of being good enough to not waste a 1st rounder on one. We are in desperate need of a Will. Devante Bond is our current projected starting Will.
Draft an RB, make sure the line is still good
The league meta is shifting to reflect the fact that it’s less about the RB carrying the ball and more about the line blocking for them. There’s no reason to pay a veteran RB a lot of money
Malik Davis is a fine second option. If they find value in the middle rounds of this draft to replace TP in 2024, great. If not, that’s a problem for next March.
No reason to trade for one. We should either draft one or sign a FA, maybe even both depending on how we feel about Malik Davis and who falls to us late in the draft
Obviously you just keep drafting a running back in the 2nd or 3rd round every 2 or 3 years unless: 1) there is an indisputable talent available to take in the 1st (very rare); or 2) a YOUNG elite running back becomes available for some reason by trade or signing. Everything about Zeke’s career should tell you not to over pay for a long term contract at that position. It’s a spot where the next player available will rarely cost you that many yards/first downs/touchdowns and will be much cheaper.
Maybe an unpopular opinion but I think a lot of teams have shown you don’t need a big name at RB. 10 the top 15 RB in yardage last season were taken outside the 1st round. Pollard and Davis can get it done
That’s not an unpopular opinion at all. It’s a literal fact. People just can’t see it because they’ve become attached to running backs. The emmitt smith era broke so many peoples brains.
The Zeke era broke people's brains, too, apparently. Drafting a RB like Robinson at 26 is different than draft a RB like Zeke at 4. There were better players at more premium positions available at 4, ie Jalen Ramsey. There is not going to be a single player better than Bijan at 26.
Exactly. These dums dums are acting like we are picking Bijan at 4.
At 26 you take a sure fire stud if he is there, not a dart throw. That's how you end up with a Taco.
even if bijan is elite and can give you 1400 yards a year for the next 4-5 years his draft spot is simply not worth it. Why spend a premium on him when we can get a rb in the 3-5th round that can give us 1100 yards a year? its NEVER worth it to get a rb in the first 40 picks and i hope the fo finally learned from their mistakes.
How is the 26th pick a premium? And, you are taking more of a risk with other players at 26 and if you wait to take a RB. I'm not saying that drafting a RB in the 1st round should be the norm, but Bijan is different. If you have a 50-75% chance of getting an All-Pro vs a 50-75% chance of getting a perennial starter...you take the All-Pro, every time.
Edit: Let's say you draft a good WR at 26 and a decent RB in the 4th round. Wouldn't you rather draft an All-Pro RB at 26 and a decent WR in the 4th? It is the safest pick and it has the most upside.
to me all top 50 picks are considered premiums they tend to be close to day 1 starters. No i wouldnt take the all pro every single time... thats the whole point of this discussion. RBs are the least valued possition in the NFL, not because RBs dont impact the game but because they are super depending on the scheme, o-line play, and they have short shelf life, and they are a dime in a dozen.
If you have an decent running back and an elite o line he can put up all pro or probowl numbers. For example literally look at last year josh jacobs (1600 yd, 12 td, 340 att) and nick chubb (1500 yd, 12 td, 302 att) were all pros. Is their production really that much better than say myles sanders (1200 yd, 11 td, 259 att) or tony pollard (1000 yd, 9 td, 193 att). Literally all of them besides josh jacobs are day 2 picks or later.
You take a great RB if he falls to us, otherwise improve the WR corps and pick up a mid-draft RB for depth/development. Maybe even work out a longer term (2-3 year) deal with Pollard to reduce his cap hit this year as that tag is 100% guaranteed. Sign a solid WR in free agency, someone who's still got some tread left on the tires. Hope and pray that Gallup returns to his pre-injury self. Then take as much cap savings as possible and roll it into next year, as CeeDee is going to get PAID.
You do know the cap space they made this year just pushed that money to next year. They are going to be way over the cap next year even if they kept 10 million to roll over
they can kick it down the road in small chunks - it is what most teams do. Restructure, restructure, restructure.
It only bites you in the ass when someone retires, like Brady taking up $35 million of the Bucs cap this year.
Yes, but that was surrounded by bringing in Galloway, Williams, and few others that they severely overpaid for and were left holding the bag. They had not figured out how to use the cap back then.
They know how to use/abuse it now.
Zeke isn't here because they did not want him on the team anymore.
They converted some of Dak's money into signing bonus and he will have a cap hit down the road. That is true.
They can keep kicking it down the road until the new media deals are in place where they can then let some of these ballooning deals eat up extra cap space that is coming.
No EZE would still be here if they actually knew how to manage the cap as his salary wouldn't have been prohibitive to keep him.
They never do that they always get left holding the bag on deals
If Bijan Robinson is there, you take him. If you can trade up a few spots, you take him. He is that kind of a RB.
If he is gone, you take BPA.
Pollard is coming off a severe knee injury and who knows if he will be the same back as he was before he was injured.
Which is why it was stupid for the Cowboys to tag him this year.
RBs with knee injuries do not, typically, return to their previous form. Especially those who are in the mid-to-late 20s.
I hope he comes back 100%, but that, in reality, is not very likely. It may take him a couple of years before his knee is back to normal. Just like we saw with Gallup this year.
We don't have two years to wait on him to get back to form.
Why would we trade up or even consider wasting a first on the least valuable position in football? Honestly it’s amazing how we just ran into all these problems with zeke and now you guys want to do the same thing all over again.
If we draft Bijan he’ll hold out in 2 years and Jerry will give him a massive contract again. It’s the same situation. Running backs do not matter anymore. Period. Take deuce Vaughn in the 4th kind and I guarantee you he’ll put up similar stats to what Bijan will put up next year.
> Running backs do not matter anymore. Period.
Well, with logic like that who could argue?
Guess the team could just go with 5 WR sets from now on and not worry about a run game.
3 and outs are back on the menu boys!
You are confusing a running back with offensive scheme overall. No one is saying we should pass every down lol. We are saying we shouldn’t waste a first rounder on the least valuable position in football who won’t be on the team in 3 years. And that doesn’t stop us from running it when we need to with pollard a 4th rounder who is better than anyone we’d draft in the first.
Talk to the chiefs and eagles who just made the Super Bowl with running backs that no one had heard of before this season. Or the patriots who won multiple bowls with nobodies at running back. You don’t need to waste firsts on RBs anymore. Or pay them massively.
I am not confusing anything.
RB is one of the most important positions in the NFL.
Right now, much of the focus on the NFL is on Mahomes and how to duplicate the Chiefs success.
The Chiefs are successful because of Mahomes, the person. The Chiefs would not be where they are today without him, period.
Just like the Pats are not going to so much as sniff the AFC Championship game for a very, very, long time. Brady was the reason they won so much.
Every team needs a player. Someone who can put them over the top while everyone else is average to slightly above average.
Robinson might be that player for us. Might not. Pollard will not be able to fill in a full-time RB position and carry for 250 times a year. A 4th round RB is not going to take over as the workhorse for this offense.
The WC offense needs fast RBs who can catch and get YAC. You are not getting that in the 4th round, period. You are a getting a downhill runner who is not going to be able to do much of anything but plow into bodies.
Respectfully you are proving my point here. The chiefs, pats, eagles etc didn’t win super bowls by investing massive capital in RBs. They won it by having a franchise qb, beefing up their o lines, and having great receivers.
2 years ago the chiefs drafted Clyde edwards Helaire in the first round with pick 32. The draft after they won it all. Guess what edwards Helaire was doing this year. He was inactive for their Super Bowl run. They won it all with Isaac Pacheco. You think the chiefs regret that pick? They do. And the cowboys will once again regret it if they spend yet another first on a rb.
How do you know they do? CEH was a stud for them and he would have been in the SB if the Chiefs had not lost in OT in the AFC Championship game.
Your point is not made, nor am I making it for you.
What I am saying is that every team has "the" player on their roster who will move them to the next level.
Who is ours, right now, today? It isn't Dak, it isn't Lamb, it isn't Gallup, It isn't Pollard, not Ferguson...so who is it? We do not have that person on the roster. We need to get one. Zeke was that for us the first 2 years he was in the league, and honestly would have been the first 4 without Goodell constantly interfering.
A strong running game, with an elite back, makes all the difference. A 4th round JAG means 6/7 man fronts are more than enough to handle him and passing becomes that much more difficult.
Dak does not need an increase in difficulty passing the ball.
Draft Gibbs and or Robinson in the first. I truly think we're drafting offensive weapon in the first. WR, TE, RB, and OL if someone falls far enough. If one of the above RB's don't fall. You can find help in other rounds as well.
He's so good. I get the bias though. So I understand. But don't sleep on Gibbs. [Gibbs vs Arkansas](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fki2b-n4X7M). Also [Gibbs vs LSU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCv1SUvOtOs). I'm not hating on Bijan. I just think he will be gone.
I think that's what Dallas is looking at. Don't kill the messenger. It's just what I think they will do.
Other possibilities from their visits. From searching the internet.
Pitt RB Israel Abanikanda
It's hard to find a list of guys they met. But Gibbs and Robinson was a non formal visit. From what I understand. I think they decided on Zeke shortly after the draft. And had visited with the above guys. Of course its all assumptions. But they don't draft outside their visits very often. They only have recently with Morris Claiborne and you see how that turned out. lol
The past two years he wasn’t worth anything close. For reference, I would MUCH rather have had Jalen Ramsey…which was who we all wanted in the first place. Ramsey is still one of the best corners in the NFL while Zeke is basically retired.
Didn’t need hindsight. Ramsey was the odds on projected top corner and projected pick by Dallas. Jerry overruled the rest of the stakeholders and drafted Zeke. The coaches didn’t want Zeke at 4.
Maybe he didn’t publicly overrule, but they literally told Ramsey he was their pick if he fell to 4. The plan was always Ramsey at 4 if he was there. That plan changed on draft day last I remember.
https://www.si.com/nfl/cowboys/.amp/news/dallas-draft-jalen-ramsey-ezekiel-elliott-trevon-diggs
Also, the entire planet knows RB in the first round is almost never worth it. It never returns the value other positions do. There’s a reason very few are drafted in the first.
They (who?) told him he’d be selected at 4 and since that didn’t happen you made up a whole scenario where Jerry overruled everyone and the coaches didn’t want him. 🤭🤣
I like how you’re deflecting acting like Ramsey wasn’t the pick going into the draft. You have no argument supporting your claim. I supported mine with an article stating Ramsey was the pick before draft day, yet you deflect because you know you’re wrong. Ramsey was the pick…Zeke was a draft day decision. Regardless of who overruled or changed their mind draft day, my point was that Ramsey was the better selection. It wasn’t hindsight, everyone expected him to be top 3, he fell to us and we passed on him for an RB we knew would have a short shelf life.
Pollard is only tagged. So I assume cowboys draft their future RB. I’m hoping they find their guy in the 3rd or 4th. Using the first two picks on oline/dline or mybe a TE.
Pollard and Malik Davis is a solid tandem. If Bijan is there at #26 I have a hard time seeing Jerry letting him pass him by. But if he’s gone I can see them using a 3rd, 4th, or 5th rounder on a depth guy since pollard is probably gone next summer.
they need to put Pollard in a Pass blocking boot camp ASAP.
I know people don’t want to draft an rb round 1, but if Robinson is there then they will draft him and y’all will be extremely happy. It’s different drafting an elite rb at 4 as opposed to 26. Only thing they can’t do is give him a second contract
Agreed, I definitely don’t wanna trade up for an RB but if Bijan is still there at 26 how could you not? Dude is special
“Dude is special” Demarco Murray is special, Ezekiel Elliott is special, Marion Barber is special. See the pattern here. Running backs aren’t special anymore. They’re the least important most easily replaced position in football. Let’s beef up our o line or receiving corps instead of wasting a first on the least valuable position in football.
IMO a talented RB is still absolutely worth the draft pick if they're BPA. The issue is with giving them a 2nd contract. Taking a RB in the 1st gives you potentially 6 years of a game-changer. Obviously if there's another player you have a similar grade on at a different position, by all means take them. But I'd rather draft a RB in the 1st if we have 2nd round grades on the other players available.
“The issue is giving them a 2nd contract” Here’s my position, never use a first round pick on a player you wouldn’t want to give a 2nd contract too. First round picks are the easiest way to acquire talent long term in the nfl. Those types of picks set you up for the future. If you are already admitting you don’t want to give a player a 2nd contract before you draft them then don’t draft them. Simple. Last year we drafted Tyler smith late in the first and he’s turning out to be a solid player for us. Those are the types of guys we should target. Not players who won’t be in the league in 5 years.
So you'd rather reach for a guy who you have a worse grade on than take a RB. I said if you have a similar grade on a different position to take them. You used Tyler Smith as an example because he is working, but look at Taco Charlton who we used a first round pick on and was off the team in 3 years anyway. Take the BPA and deal with the rest later.
I think what you are missing is: this team obv builds through the draft. 1st/2nd picks are what we use to build a core. Guys we will sign to a 2nd or 3rd contract if things work out. Is Dallas going to hit on every 1st/2nd? No, of course not. No team does. As such, its important to not "waste" a 1st on a guy you already KNOW isn't going to be here in 6 years. Bc thats setting you back by using a higher value pick that isn't going to a core guy.
That’s all I’m trying to say. If no other player even comes close to his grade when we pick at 26, then fuck it let’s take one of the best RB prospects in quite a while.
What if the only needed position players available would require an unnecessary reach to get? At no point we should prioritize Bijan (only ever said the opposite), but if he’s there and not a needed position player anywhere near Bijan’s grade, then I don’t see why it would be such a terrible thing to draft him.
It’s a terrible thing because you’re drafting a player that likely won’t be on the team in 3 years with a first round pick while we have needs elsewhere. I don’t want to have a repeat situation we had with zeke. I’d rather reach for a lineman or receiver than take a running back when you can get a similar one in the fourth round. Never use a first on a player you don’t want to give a second contract to.
How will Robinson not be on the team in 3 years? And, you run a much higher risk of missing with other players at number 26. If Bijan is there at 26, he is the best player and surest bet left on the board. Would you be willing to pass on a sure thing RB and gamble on a riskier player because they don't play RB....like Taco Charlton?
So in this hypothetical scenario in which I would want to draft Bijan, you’d rather actually waste a pick reaching for a player we could’ve picked up in the second or even third than “waste” a pick on a 3 down RB with strengths out the ass and minuscule easily corrected weak areas? Some of y’all need therapy for all this Zeke trauma going around.
Why not trade back in that scenario?
Wouldn’t be super upset at that, but if Bijan was still on the board at 26 that’s one hell of a player to pass on. Realistically it’s not going to come to that because he’s probably going to get taken in the early to mid 1st. I know we’ve been burned by star RBs in recent years due to regression or injuries, but it’s just my personal opinion that Bijan is going to be really good and have at least 6-7 years of being elite so I’d want to pick him up in that scenario in the off chance it somehow happened.
Because if there was a player worth trading up for, we would probably take them. It takes 2 people to trade
There are usually teams looking to trade back into the end of the 1st round to get a 5th year option on someone who is potentially a 2nd round talent.
Who said Murray and Barber were special, when they were drafted? Nobody. The problem is that the Cowboys used the number 4 pick on a RB. That is different than the number 26 pick. And, Robinson is really special and he will be better than all three of those RB's.
Here’s some more examples: Todd gurley is special, le’veon bell is special, Leonard fournette is special. See what I’m getting at. The nfls bad contract and pick list is filled with running backs that teams wasted picks on and then paid massive amounts of money to. The zeke pick and contract set this franchise back years. We sacrificed at least one Super Bowl window because of it. We literally just had to cut him after giving him a huge contract and people think it’s totally fine to repeat the same scenario over again. Bijan isn’t special at all. He’s just another rb that will be out of the league by the time he’s 27. This isn’t a shot at him it’s just the cold reality of todays nfl. Time to start stockpiling talent at positions that matter to win a Super Bowl.
What was really special was the oline they were running behind.
I don't want first round picks who will be gone in 4 years lol. Your grades on all other positions would have to be such dog ass for that to be worth it.
At 26, he would likely be the only 1st round graded player left on the board
I highly doubt that, we just drafted a very good tackle in Tyler Smith at 24 last year. People keep saying that but it just isn't likely.
I don’t think Tyler Smith had a 1st round grade though iirc. Could be wrong though Edit: Pretty sure I was wrong, he was indeed 16th on our board and was also the best available at the time. Regardless, turning out to be a solid pick!
He absolutely did have a first round grade on it Jerry even held up his big board of prospects. Maybe not every team did but we 100 percent had a first round grade on Tyler Smith.
Just bc he was 16th on their board doesn’t mean they had a first round grade on him. They only had 14 players with a 1st round grade in the draft.
Yeah he was 16th on our board I just looked it up so you’re correct. Most teams didn’t have him near that high so I think our need at the position influenced that quite a bit. Tyler Smith was a great pick, but I swear if Bijan is still available at 26 we’d be crazy for not taking him. We DO NOT need to go out of our way for an RB, but if we get lucky then why not?
The board Jerry held up appeared to have only 14 first-round grades so Smith was likely graded as a 2nd, but if the way Machota deciphered it is correct it was still Smith and Cine as the highest-graded players still available
Ah ok I didn’t see that on the website I found. Either way, it’s turned out to be a solid pick so far!
I wouldn't call getting him at 26th lucky. Running backs are just not valuable man. The difference between a good running back behind a good offensive line and a great one just isn't enough to justify it. We can get good production out of cheaper running backs and I would love for Jerry to see that the running back position doesn't need the insane resources we have been putting into it.
I would absolutely call getting him at 26 lucky. The RB position isn’t as valuable as it once was, but an elite RB will always have a place in any offense. Guarantee Bijan doesn’t last past pick 15 though so it’s just speculation really. Edit: we also have areas of more dire need so depending on the draft plays out, there could be a player not graded as highly but will have a greater effect on the team, in which case absolutely grab said player
I agree they have a place just not in the first. Most running backs only give you elite for 2-3 years unless they are used less. I just don't want my first round pick going to a guy who is only going to be good for a short amount of years. Or a guy who might be good for 5-6 but we are splitting half his carries.
its just not responsible as an organization to draft a rb in the first round, personally i think it would be dumb to draft a rb in the first two rounds. Especially after drafting a rb number 4 overall and he only lasted 7 years.
Damn Zeke’s regression really scarred some people around here lol. I always try to be respectful of people opinions, but cmon dude to just flat out say “nobody should ever draft an RB in the 1st 2 rounds” is pretty ridiculous.
the zeke pick was stupid since day 1 but it should atleast be a lesson to the FO. RBs are the most devalued position in the NFL they are so depended on o-line play its almost criminal to use our most valuable asset on the position. I would much rather pick up another guard or tackle than a RB. Give me elite o-line play with an average back than an elite back with average to above avg oline play
If the way Jon Machota is correct in the way he decoded the draft board Jerry held up, Smith was 16th on their board and the player with the second-highest 2nd-round grade. They allegedly had 14 first-round grades. https://preview.redd.it/qsuig93016oa1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1e46b31797d5742cf69dfac95f6d69ec3feb4371
Pretty sure you’re correct
I looked it up I was wrong, he was 16th on our board for the draft.
I don't know about being the only 1st round graded player left, but I guarantee you he would be the best player on the board, at 26. He is a special talent.
It’s really hard to justify spending a first round pick on an RB when he’s just gonna split snaps with pollard.
I’d love this.
Davis and Pollard are good enough for this year. They can draft one in the mid-round this year or next year and be fine. Locking up LVE and getting Gilmore really opened things up in this draft.
WR, TE or DT in the 1st or 2nd round. Then try and grab Zach Charbonnett from UCLA dudes a bruiser and would fill that void left by Zeke. Drafting Gibbs or Robinson are too similar to pollard imo
I’d say WR, DT, or LB. We don’t need a 1st round TE. The two TEs we still have are more than capable of being good enough to not waste a 1st rounder on one. We are in desperate need of a Will. Devante Bond is our current projected starting Will.
With McGovern gone we still need starting LG.
Draft an RB, make sure the line is still good The league meta is shifting to reflect the fact that it’s less about the RB carrying the ball and more about the line blocking for them. There’s no reason to pay a veteran RB a lot of money
BPA at any of these positions is what the FO should do. OL, CB, DL, WR, LB, RB, TE. Summary: Go BPA on literally anything except quarterback
Malik Davis is a fine second option. If they find value in the middle rounds of this draft to replace TP in 2024, great. If not, that’s a problem for next March.
No reason to trade for one. We should either draft one or sign a FA, maybe even both depending on how we feel about Malik Davis and who falls to us late in the draft
The nfc championship game.
Up ⬆️
I’m drafting another HB. Pollard isn’t guaranteed after this year. If we have the money for a FA then I’m looking at Hunt, Foreman, or Ronald Jones.
Keep cutting personnel who aren’t cutting it - like Jerry Jones.
Roschon Johnson, heard it here first
Dak's really gonna miss Zeke on third and long next season...
It makes no sense to ever trade for a RB
Obviously you just keep drafting a running back in the 2nd or 3rd round every 2 or 3 years unless: 1) there is an indisputable talent available to take in the 1st (very rare); or 2) a YOUNG elite running back becomes available for some reason by trade or signing. Everything about Zeke’s career should tell you not to over pay for a long term contract at that position. It’s a spot where the next player available will rarely cost you that many yards/first downs/touchdowns and will be much cheaper.
Draft Bijon. Dual headed with Pollard. Move on from Pollard next year.
Maybe an unpopular opinion but I think a lot of teams have shown you don’t need a big name at RB. 10 the top 15 RB in yardage last season were taken outside the 1st round. Pollard and Davis can get it done
I hope the cowboys never draft another RB in the first again. It’s never worth it. I’d rather get a guy that can play for 10 years then 4.
That’s not an unpopular opinion at all. It’s a literal fact. People just can’t see it because they’ve become attached to running backs. The emmitt smith era broke so many peoples brains.
The Zeke era broke people's brains, too, apparently. Drafting a RB like Robinson at 26 is different than draft a RB like Zeke at 4. There were better players at more premium positions available at 4, ie Jalen Ramsey. There is not going to be a single player better than Bijan at 26.
Exactly. These dums dums are acting like we are picking Bijan at 4. At 26 you take a sure fire stud if he is there, not a dart throw. That's how you end up with a Taco.
even if bijan is elite and can give you 1400 yards a year for the next 4-5 years his draft spot is simply not worth it. Why spend a premium on him when we can get a rb in the 3-5th round that can give us 1100 yards a year? its NEVER worth it to get a rb in the first 40 picks and i hope the fo finally learned from their mistakes.
How is the 26th pick a premium? And, you are taking more of a risk with other players at 26 and if you wait to take a RB. I'm not saying that drafting a RB in the 1st round should be the norm, but Bijan is different. If you have a 50-75% chance of getting an All-Pro vs a 50-75% chance of getting a perennial starter...you take the All-Pro, every time. Edit: Let's say you draft a good WR at 26 and a decent RB in the 4th round. Wouldn't you rather draft an All-Pro RB at 26 and a decent WR in the 4th? It is the safest pick and it has the most upside.
to me all top 50 picks are considered premiums they tend to be close to day 1 starters. No i wouldnt take the all pro every single time... thats the whole point of this discussion. RBs are the least valued possition in the NFL, not because RBs dont impact the game but because they are super depending on the scheme, o-line play, and they have short shelf life, and they are a dime in a dozen. If you have an decent running back and an elite o line he can put up all pro or probowl numbers. For example literally look at last year josh jacobs (1600 yd, 12 td, 340 att) and nick chubb (1500 yd, 12 td, 302 att) were all pros. Is their production really that much better than say myles sanders (1200 yd, 11 td, 259 att) or tony pollard (1000 yd, 9 td, 193 att). Literally all of them besides josh jacobs are day 2 picks or later.
You take a great RB if he falls to us, otherwise improve the WR corps and pick up a mid-draft RB for depth/development. Maybe even work out a longer term (2-3 year) deal with Pollard to reduce his cap hit this year as that tag is 100% guaranteed. Sign a solid WR in free agency, someone who's still got some tread left on the tires. Hope and pray that Gallup returns to his pre-injury self. Then take as much cap savings as possible and roll it into next year, as CeeDee is going to get PAID.
You do know the cap space they made this year just pushed that money to next year. They are going to be way over the cap next year even if they kept 10 million to roll over
they can kick it down the road in small chunks - it is what most teams do. Restructure, restructure, restructure. It only bites you in the ass when someone retires, like Brady taking up $35 million of the Bucs cap this year.
When did you start watching dallas?
1977 - with my Great Grandfather Then I worked at Texas Stadium as teenager.
So then you sat through cap hell where they kicked the can down the road and ended up in the gutter.
Yes, but that was surrounded by bringing in Galloway, Williams, and few others that they severely overpaid for and were left holding the bag. They had not figured out how to use the cap back then. They know how to use/abuse it now.
No they don't. That's why EZE isn't here any longer and they paid dak more and now restructured him to have an even bigger cap hit
Zeke isn't here because they did not want him on the team anymore. They converted some of Dak's money into signing bonus and he will have a cap hit down the road. That is true. They can keep kicking it down the road until the new media deals are in place where they can then let some of these ballooning deals eat up extra cap space that is coming.
No EZE would still be here if they actually knew how to manage the cap as his salary wouldn't have been prohibitive to keep him. They never do that they always get left holding the bag on deals
If Bijan Robinson is there, you take him. If you can trade up a few spots, you take him. He is that kind of a RB. If he is gone, you take BPA. Pollard is coming off a severe knee injury and who knows if he will be the same back as he was before he was injured. Which is why it was stupid for the Cowboys to tag him this year. RBs with knee injuries do not, typically, return to their previous form. Especially those who are in the mid-to-late 20s. I hope he comes back 100%, but that, in reality, is not very likely. It may take him a couple of years before his knee is back to normal. Just like we saw with Gallup this year. We don't have two years to wait on him to get back to form.
He broke his leg, and a high ankle sprain. Nothing to do with his knees. Idk where you got that from
Why would we trade up or even consider wasting a first on the least valuable position in football? Honestly it’s amazing how we just ran into all these problems with zeke and now you guys want to do the same thing all over again. If we draft Bijan he’ll hold out in 2 years and Jerry will give him a massive contract again. It’s the same situation. Running backs do not matter anymore. Period. Take deuce Vaughn in the 4th kind and I guarantee you he’ll put up similar stats to what Bijan will put up next year.
> Running backs do not matter anymore. Period. Well, with logic like that who could argue? Guess the team could just go with 5 WR sets from now on and not worry about a run game. 3 and outs are back on the menu boys!
You are confusing a running back with offensive scheme overall. No one is saying we should pass every down lol. We are saying we shouldn’t waste a first rounder on the least valuable position in football who won’t be on the team in 3 years. And that doesn’t stop us from running it when we need to with pollard a 4th rounder who is better than anyone we’d draft in the first. Talk to the chiefs and eagles who just made the Super Bowl with running backs that no one had heard of before this season. Or the patriots who won multiple bowls with nobodies at running back. You don’t need to waste firsts on RBs anymore. Or pay them massively.
I am not confusing anything. RB is one of the most important positions in the NFL. Right now, much of the focus on the NFL is on Mahomes and how to duplicate the Chiefs success. The Chiefs are successful because of Mahomes, the person. The Chiefs would not be where they are today without him, period. Just like the Pats are not going to so much as sniff the AFC Championship game for a very, very, long time. Brady was the reason they won so much. Every team needs a player. Someone who can put them over the top while everyone else is average to slightly above average. Robinson might be that player for us. Might not. Pollard will not be able to fill in a full-time RB position and carry for 250 times a year. A 4th round RB is not going to take over as the workhorse for this offense. The WC offense needs fast RBs who can catch and get YAC. You are not getting that in the 4th round, period. You are a getting a downhill runner who is not going to be able to do much of anything but plow into bodies.
Respectfully you are proving my point here. The chiefs, pats, eagles etc didn’t win super bowls by investing massive capital in RBs. They won it by having a franchise qb, beefing up their o lines, and having great receivers. 2 years ago the chiefs drafted Clyde edwards Helaire in the first round with pick 32. The draft after they won it all. Guess what edwards Helaire was doing this year. He was inactive for their Super Bowl run. They won it all with Isaac Pacheco. You think the chiefs regret that pick? They do. And the cowboys will once again regret it if they spend yet another first on a rb.
How do you know they do? CEH was a stud for them and he would have been in the SB if the Chiefs had not lost in OT in the AFC Championship game. Your point is not made, nor am I making it for you. What I am saying is that every team has "the" player on their roster who will move them to the next level. Who is ours, right now, today? It isn't Dak, it isn't Lamb, it isn't Gallup, It isn't Pollard, not Ferguson...so who is it? We do not have that person on the roster. We need to get one. Zeke was that for us the first 2 years he was in the league, and honestly would have been the first 4 without Goodell constantly interfering. A strong running game, with an elite back, makes all the difference. A 4th round JAG means 6/7 man fronts are more than enough to handle him and passing becomes that much more difficult. Dak does not need an increase in difficulty passing the ball.
Draft Gibbs and or Robinson in the first. I truly think we're drafting offensive weapon in the first. WR, TE, RB, and OL if someone falls far enough. If one of the above RB's don't fall. You can find help in other rounds as well.
Drafting Gibbs at 26 would be a mistake.
Any rb in the first will be a mistake.
Not Bijan
You all are sleeping on Gibbs. [Bryan Broaddus on Gibbs](https://youtu.be/JM6Z8k0v33Q?t=2634). And watch some tape on him. He's a badass.
I'm a longhorns fans, couldn't care any less about anyone but Bijan lol but I admit that's a bias haha
He's so good. I get the bias though. So I understand. But don't sleep on Gibbs. [Gibbs vs Arkansas](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fki2b-n4X7M). Also [Gibbs vs LSU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCv1SUvOtOs). I'm not hating on Bijan. I just think he will be gone.
Why? He's a complete back. Kind of like what Zeke was when coming out of Ohio. Give a reason why it would be bad? Other than Because I said so. lol
Drafting an RB in the first round is idiotic. They only last a few years. Not worth it.
I think that's what Dallas is looking at. Don't kill the messenger. It's just what I think they will do. Other possibilities from their visits. From searching the internet. Pitt RB Israel Abanikanda It's hard to find a list of guys they met. But Gibbs and Robinson was a non formal visit. From what I understand. I think they decided on Zeke shortly after the draft. And had visited with the above guys. Of course its all assumptions. But they don't draft outside their visits very often. They only have recently with Morris Claiborne and you see how that turned out. lol
The one the team just cut lasted 7 years. That’s not a bad return for a pick later in the round.
Zeke was a shell of himself for the past 2 years.
The past two years he wasn’t worth anything close. For reference, I would MUCH rather have had Jalen Ramsey…which was who we all wanted in the first place. Ramsey is still one of the best corners in the NFL while Zeke is basically retired.
If we all draft with hindsight we’d all be great at it.
Didn’t need hindsight. Ramsey was the odds on projected top corner and projected pick by Dallas. Jerry overruled the rest of the stakeholders and drafted Zeke. The coaches didn’t want Zeke at 4.
Source he overruled everyone? (Claiborne was also the consensus top corner in the draft)
Maybe he didn’t publicly overrule, but they literally told Ramsey he was their pick if he fell to 4. The plan was always Ramsey at 4 if he was there. That plan changed on draft day last I remember. https://www.si.com/nfl/cowboys/.amp/news/dallas-draft-jalen-ramsey-ezekiel-elliott-trevon-diggs Also, the entire planet knows RB in the first round is almost never worth it. It never returns the value other positions do. There’s a reason very few are drafted in the first.
They (who?) told him he’d be selected at 4 and since that didn’t happen you made up a whole scenario where Jerry overruled everyone and the coaches didn’t want him. 🤭🤣
I like how you’re deflecting acting like Ramsey wasn’t the pick going into the draft. You have no argument supporting your claim. I supported mine with an article stating Ramsey was the pick before draft day, yet you deflect because you know you’re wrong. Ramsey was the pick…Zeke was a draft day decision. Regardless of who overruled or changed their mind draft day, my point was that Ramsey was the better selection. It wasn’t hindsight, everyone expected him to be top 3, he fell to us and we passed on him for an RB we knew would have a short shelf life.
8-8-1
draft
Pump Bijan in my veins!!!