It’s all about the pressure. Recently, Jerry Jones was asked on what he thought was the most pressing need for the Dallas Cowboys defensive unit and he said exactly what’s been on our mind. We need a cornerback to help our sodden secondary, right? No, it’s all about the pressure. Jerry Jones insists that getting more pressure on opposing quarterbacks is the most important. Silly Jerry? No! In fact, this could be brilliant Jerry beginning to do work on his offseason to-do list. Here’s why:
Brandon Carr is the key to the Cowboys becoming a playoff contender the next year. Sure, he’s not the shut-down corner type that Nnamdi Asomugha was assumed to be during last year’s free agency period, but he is still one of the best defensive backs in this year’s free agency class. What might be even better than Asomugha for the Cowboys though, is Carr’s age. He is only 25 years old with 4 years of perfect attendance in terms of starting experience for the Kansas City Chiefs. If the Cowboys are able to sign him, that gives Jerry Jones a reliable starter who can potentially go up against the league’s best for the next 4 or 5 years.
But that’s not all. Signing Brandon Carr would start a domino effect in the NFL Draft for Dallas. If, and only if, Brandon Carr is signed, it allows the Cowboys to move away from being pressured to draft a CB in the first round of the playoffs and instead, fix one of their other needs. Jerry said he wanted some pressure, right? So how about Memphis DT, Dontari Poe? The guy had an outstanding combine, with the highest bench press at 44 reps and a jaw-dropping 4.98 on his 40-yard dash. Even more impressive was his unofficial 1.70 10-yard split. That’s a 346 pound lineman exploding off the snap and in your face in less than 2 seconds. Not to mention he weighs 59 lbs more than Jay Ratliff. We all know Jay Ratliff is a beast, but at his size, he would be that much more of a beast at defensive end if the Cowboys could get Poe plugged in at NT on their defensive line. Then, in the second round of the draft, the Cowboys could add a meaty offensive guard or a safety with rising stock such as Harrison Smith and address the other in the third round. I say all this because the cornerback class this year is actually quite deep. In the 4th or 5th round, you could still find someone like Josh Robinson, who is exploding with potential, but clearly needs a year or two to learn the game.
Therefore, instead of calling Jerry Jones crazy on this one, I’m inclined to believe that he’s on the right track. With all the criticism of him trying to be a successful owner and a good general manager, I guess the pressure got to him. And that’s exactly what we need, Jerry. Pressure. And it all begins with opening the checkbook for that 25-year old sitting in Kansas City.
SOURCES: http://www.dallascowboys.com, http://www.nfl.com/