themurf Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 (photo by Brian Murphy) By now, fans of the Washington Redskins are intimately familiar with the newest additions to the roster – the players the team selected in the 2013 NFL Draft. As a quick refresher, here are the seven college players the burgundy and gold brain trust opted to select during this year’s draft: Cornerback David Amerson (2nd round, 51st overall) Tight end Jordan Reed (3rd round, 85th overall) Safety Phillip Thomas (4th round, 119th overall) Running back Chris Thompson (5th round, 154th overall) Linebacker Brandon Jenkins (5th round, 162nd overall) Safety Bacarri Rambo (6th round, 191st overall) Running back Jawan Jamison (7th round, 228th overall) This year’s draft class clearly didn’t have the same level of name recognition of others in recent history, but that’s to be expected when a team trades away its first-round pick and is simply looking to add depth to a roster returning 21 of 22 starters from a year ago. My personal opinion is that the Redskins targeted high-risk, high-reward players in specific areas of need – believing the coaching staff can apparently bring out the best in talented, but flawed players while helping these seven players overcome some of the deficiencies that could have possibly scared off other teams. Take, for example, Washington’s top pick – defensive back David Amerson, out of North Carolina State. Depending on your perspective, the ‘Skins landed one of the top ball-hawking defensive backs in the country … or a burnt piece of toast who lacks discipline and tries too hard to make the highlight reel. While the Redskins thought enough of the 21-year-old to use their top pick on him, NFL Network’s Mike Mayock ranked Amerson as the 99th best prospect on his big board in the days leading up to the draft. “Junior year, 13 interceptions,” said Mayock. “Senior year, probably gave up more vertical touchdowns passes than any corner I’ve ever seen in my life.” Some scouts and talent evaluators compare Amerson to another Redskins cornerback – DeAngelo Hall – and they don’t exactly mean it as a compliment. “I think he was trying to make a big play every snap instead of playing his assignment,” Mayock said. Sounds familiar? And Mayock wasn’t alone in his frank assessment of Amerson. “They need help all over the secondary, and David Amerson was a slight reach for me in Round 2, but at least offers depth,” said ESPN’s Mel Kiper. “He was exceptional in 2011, but had some ugly games in 2012, so if he cleans up his play they get a good player.” The beauty, as they say, is clearly in the eye of the beholder, when it comes to prospects like Amerson. Of course, it’s one thing for talking heads to rush to over-analyze college players. It’s another thing entirely though when football fans are fortunate enough to catch a glimpse behind the curtain of an actual NFL team’s draft room. The folks over Bloggingtheboys.com, a website dedicated to the Dallas Cowboys, have compiled screen shots of videos featuring Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to amazingly reconstruct Dallas’ 2013 draft board. While much of the talk will center around the Cowboys believing the 16th overall pick, Florida State’s E.J. Manuel, was only worthy of a fourth-round grade,* this compilation also gives ‘Skins fans a rare opportunity to see what their biggest rival thinks of the new guys on the block. *For what it’s worth, quarterbacks Ryan Nassib, Matt Barkley and Geno Smith were each graded ahead of Manuel, which each earning a second-round grade by Dallas. The first thing that stands out to me is that, out of Washington’s seven draft pick in 2013, only three players are even listed on Dallas’ draft board – with Amerson, Thomas and Jenkins making the cut. That means, of course, that Reed, Thompson, Rambo and Jamison were not. Here is one possible explanation, courtesy once again of Bloggingtheboys.com, for why these four gentlemen were not deemed to be draft worthy by Dallas: We had heard before the draft that the Cowboys wanted to include only players on the board that they were sure they wanted, so they were working to develop a leaner, more “pure” board. This board has 132 players on it, which is actually pretty close to the one that leaked in 2010, which had 129 players. The website also lists a few other possible reasons why players might not have made the cut, including: injury or character scratches, bad scheme fits and player size. A guy like Thompson could definitely be viewed as injury prone and Rambo has definitely had his share of off-the-field controversy, so that might explain why they’re missing in action. But the interesting thing to me is that all three Redskins players who are listed – Amerson, Thomas and Jenkins – were considered fourth rounders by the Cowboys. Interestingly enough, it seems as if Jenkins (who Dallas listed as a defensive end) was the highest rated of the trio, followed by Thomas and then Amerson. Jenkins was deemed the 81st-best prospect in Jerry’s World, with Thomas ranked 85th and Amerson was 86th. Also worth noting: Dallas viewed Jenkins as the 11th-best defensive end in the draft. Thomas was their seventh-best safety and Amerson was their 11th-best cornerback available. What does all of this mean? Honestly, not much. But like I said earlier, teams are normally extremely secretive when it comes to letting outsiders know how they truly feel about … well … anything. Sure, you’ll hear seemingly every single NFL general manager say something along the lines of “We were lucky to land [insert player’s name here]. We had him graded as a first-round pick.” But that’s typically just lip service to try and over-inflate their roster, talent evaluators, etc. This slip up by the Cowboys provides ‘Skins fans with the unlikely opportunity to truly peek behind enemy lines while also giving seven first-year players possible bulletin board material the next time the Redskins travel to Dallas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popeman38 Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Of course, their own draft board indicates that the player they took at #31 was a 3rd round grade. So they say they didn't "reach" when drafting a C at 31 that EVERYONE had a 4th round grade on, but their own draft board confirms they reached for a C at 31. Having said that, Jerry Jones is the greatest GM in history, is doing a marvelous job, and should continue to refuse to give up the GMs job until the day he dies. And here's to hoping they invent an immortality pill that Jerry is the guinea pig for and he stays insanely in charge for eternity! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bacon Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Their opinion of our draft class a month after the fact matters even less than my own, which is to say, not in the slightest. When Romo sits to pee is throwing five picks our way every game instead of three, we'll see what they think of our draft class. Then again, maybe he stops counting after three and won't notice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hitman21ST Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 That sounds eerily similar to Tuna's assessment of Chris Cooley...we seem to do well with players Dallas doesn't like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riggo-toni Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 This was a boom/bust draft, so I really have no prob w/ others doubting/2nd guessing our picks. Beathard had one of the greatest drafts in history in '81, followed by a Vinnyesque flop in '82...that happens when you gamble on injured/inconsistent players. It's still a worthwhile approach, especially when one considers how many "can't miss" prospects actually do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJD2 Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Somehow this comforts me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riggo-toni Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 That sounds eerily similar to Tuna's assessment of Chris Cooley...we seem to do well with players Dallas doesn't like. Yeah, I immediately thought of that too..."You'll be a career backup." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themurf Posted May 31, 2013 Author Share Posted May 31, 2013 Somehow this comforts me. Honestly, me too. Their opinion of our draft class a month after the fact matters even less than my own, which is to say, not in the slightest. When Romo sits to pee is throwing five picks our way every game instead of three, we'll see what they think of our draft class. Then again, maybe he stops counting after three and won't notice. I'm not sure you're getting what this entire post is about. The Dallas Cowboys' 2013 draft board is now online, so we can see which players they were interested in taking during the draft. This has nothing to do with "their opinion of our draft class a month after the fact." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanceman_1 Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 You really cant take anything seriously if it's coming from something named "Blogging the Boys". If we get just 2 starters from this class I will be very happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 This was a boom/bust draft, so I really have no prob w/ others doubting/2nd guessing our picks. That was my feeling, at the time. My theory was that, in the later rounds, there aren't any sure fire stars, on the board. In fact, after the first round or two, there aren't even any sure fire starters. We could have drafted guys who grade as "solid, dependable, guy. He won't make you famous, but he won't embarrass you, either". But we've already got a pretty good roster of those types. So, we went for "he might be a complete waste of a pick, but he MIGHT make Pro Bowl, too". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bacon Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 I'm not sure you're getting what this entire post is about. The Dallas Cowboys' 2013 draft board is now online, so we can see which players they were interested in taking during the draft. This has nothing to do with "their opinion of our draft class a month after the fact." Welp, I'm an idiot. This is what I get for reading half an article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinC Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 I think what we can take heart from in all this is no professional front office lets its draft board leak even after the draft. The Cowboys are in great hands with Jerry .....from a Redskins fans perspective. As for the grades - different needs, different systems, different kinds of players and attributes required not to mention different eyes = different grades. We will know in a couple of years where it all shakes out but given the Cowboys recent draft record I'm not suicidal their grades were apparently different to ours ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogofWar1 Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Dallas taking people off their board because of character concerns? Somehow I'm skeptical. I imagine Thompson, and Jamison, didn't make it because of injury, and Rambo because of character. Not sure why Reed wouldn't have made it. He had minor injuries but nothing serious, and got benched in one game for attitude, but again, nothing serious. Regardless, I'll take our scouts and Mike over Jerry World any day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GO HAMSKINS Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Buahahahaah!!!!!!!!!! This is so funny to me. I wonder what they said about Alf Mo when we drafted him? Im sure they didn't have high expectations about him either. They probably didn't even know about the steals Shanny has made in this year's draft class even lacking a 1st round pick this season. I mean with our running backs alone we are going to kill, then add in Reed, oh and that LB from FSU we drafted watch him a couple years.It doesn't matter who we draft they will all contribute on offense a some point this season. Hail! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdlives Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 I can't think of a more ringing endorsement as to the quality of our draft than to have dallas not be interested in any of our picks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RG3Hunna Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 You have to take in to consideration that Dallas runs a different system than we do. Amerson was rated low because they don't run a lot of shuffle technique and they require their DB's to back peddle (Amersons weakness) . We run a lot of shuffle technique which allows a corner to peak in the backfield to make a play and don't require back peddling at all (Amersons strength). Chris Thompson/Jawan are zone blocking runners (Perfect fits for us) and dallas uses Man Power with a little bit of zone blocking (Thompson/Jawan wouldn't fit). Rambo was probably a scratch for character, we can afford a rambo our locker room is full of character guys, Dallas can't, they need character guys and leaders. Ranking players on your draft board has more to do with "how well this player fits in our scheme" than "This player simply isn't good enough" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Always A Commander Never A Captain Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Dallas taking people off their board because of character concerns? Somehow I'm skeptical. Well they did just have one of their players kill a practice squad member from drunk driving. So I imagine they're trying to clean up the lockerroom a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elkabong82 Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Common sense was not impressed with the Dallas draft last year or this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gibbsfan2018 Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 I'm sure Alfred was not on their board last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD Riggo Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Do they want to know what WE think about THEIR 2013 draft class? Hmmm?? And re-signing Tony Romo sits to pee??!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themurf Posted May 31, 2013 Author Share Posted May 31, 2013 Just for kicks, here's a link to the Dallas Cowboys' 2010 draft board. As far as the Redskins go, they had Trent Williams rated as a first rounder and Perry Riley rated as a fourth rounder. Since that's where both of them were selected by Washington, that's not all that exciting. Although, Dallas did rank Russell Okung over Williams, so if you wanted to get fired up about something ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hiro Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 To be fair, I don't exactly have a ton of regard for Jerruh's drafting prowess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Cooll insight. I'd like to know some of the variables because clearly as safties go... our two were pretty well considered and had a healthy resume. It could be scheme, injury, personality, or maybe Dallas really likes their safeties and so pretty much ruled safety out. It is pretty weird that they went for a guy in the first round that they themselves slotted for the third. Moreso, at a position which generally isn't picked in the first round in any case. Still, it'd be fun to see more of these from other teams esp. some of the historically better drafting ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogofWar1 Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Cooll insight. I'd like to know some of the variables because clearly as safties go... our two were pretty well considered and had a healthy resume. It could be scheme, injury, personality, or maybe Dallas really likes their safeties and so pretty much ruled safety out. Can't be that last one. They lost Sensabaugh, and had no money to replace him. They must have just really disliked the safety class. Leaving Elam off the board seems like an oversight though. I don't care that he's small, Elam is tough, and plays well. Their funeral though, more wins for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uumuur Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 My assessment of their Romo sits to pee long term contract is eerily similar.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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