Update: The Nashville City Paper says the conditional ‘09 pick in the Pacman Jones deal is the Cowboys’ 6th rounder.
Update II: The Nashville Tennessean adds more details:
“If Jones is available or on injured reserve for 16 games in 2008, the Titans will also get a sixth-round pick from the Cowboys in 2009. Jones doesn’t have to play in the games, he just can’t be suspended. If the NFL doesn’t reinstate Jones, the Titans will send a 2009 draft pick back to the Cowboys.”
Let’s take a look at Dallas’ secondary depth chart and see how Pacman Jones adds to the secondary — assuming, of course, that he’s re-instated.
Let’s begin by looking at the ‘07 rotation, when healthy:
LCB — Terence Newman/Jacques Reeves;
SS — Roy Williams;
FS — Ken Hamlin;
RCB — Anthony Henry;
Nickel corner — Newman*
Dime corner — Nate Jones
Nickel safety — Pat Watkins **
*When Dallas went to the nickel package Newman lined up in the slot and Jones played the right corner spot.
**When Dallas went to the nickel, Watkins would replace Roy Williams, who went to the bench.
Let’s see where Pacman fits in this scheme. When he played for the Titans he lined up at left corner, where Newman plays. Let’s assume he’ll have some rust on him, after sitting out ‘07. He was a top-5 corner in ‘06. Even if he needs to work back into shape, he should still be a giant step up from Jacques Reeves.
Dallas still needs to draft another corner, to groom behind the aging Henry and Newman, and also because Jones is far from a sure thing given his checkered past, to put it politely. However, Jones’ experience and talent means that the rookie won’t need to be force fed into the starting rotation, unless Henry goes lame again.
Dallas will still hope that a top-tier cornerback will slide to pick 22. However, I think the team might settle for a second tier corner — a guy like Charles Godfrey, Antoine Cason, Justin King or Tracy Porter in round two if the CB talent does not match up at 22 or 28.
Now, look at that starting five — I consider the nickel back a member of the starting rotation, given how much nickel CBs play these days. Where’s the weak link?
Didn’t have to think long on that one, did you? Newman and Hamlin made the Pro Bowl on merit last year. Jones made All Pro in ‘06. Henry has played very well when healthy, though he’s missed a lot of time because he’s slow to heal from sprains. (He does deserve a lot of credit for playing with a knee that locked up on him the second half of 2006.)
Roy Williams has not played up to his’ peers. He signed a five-year, $25.2 million extension during camp in ‘06. The Cowboys franchised Hamlin, which means he’s due $4.4 million this year, unless Dallas inks him to an extension.
Dallas has a lot of money invested at the safety position and the team would give itself cap flexibility for other key contracts if it could get out from under William’s ineffective deal.
That’s why Kenny Phillips and Tyrell Johnson have to enter the discussion now that Jones has been signed. Phillips ranked third and Johnson sixth on the Cowboys “mystery list” of defensive back prospects. One or both could be on the board when Dallas picks at 22 and 28. Right now I rank safety and running back as the more likely positions to go in the first round; I think we’ll see another cornerback run in the mid-teens as we did last year, when four top-rated secondary men went in the four spots immediately ahead of the Cowboys’ 22nd pick.
Dallas picks 22nd again this year. Adjust your secondary thinking accordingly.
The deal is done.
Pacman for a 4th rounder and a conditional pick in ‘09.
To my eyes, this increases the odds of a safety being selected with one of Dallas’ top picks.
Fever? I’ve got Pacman-related symptoms…
Dallas has 21 players with 1st round grades. See how many players you can find that have certain 1st grades:
Here are my 21:
QB — Matt Ryan
RB — Darren McFadden, Jonathan Stewart, Rashard Mendenhall
WR — Devin Thomas
OT — Jake Long, Ryan Clady, Jeff Otah, Chris Williams
OG — Branden Albert
DT — Glenn Dorsey, Sedrick Ellis
DE — Chris Long, Vernon Gholston, Derrick Harvey
LB — Keith Rivers
CB — Leodis McKelvin, Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, Mike Jenkins, Aqib Talib
S — Kenny Phillips
Players on the margin, who might have one of the last first-round grades if I’ve miscalculated:
Felix Jones,
Calais Campbell,
Gosder Cherilus;
Limas Sweed;
DeSean Jackson;
Jerod Mayo;
This is the likely player pool for Dallas at 22. Who do you like the best in that bunch? Felix Jones is fine by me.
Now, of those players in the top group, which are most likely to fall out of the top 21?
I think there are three:
Stewart,
Talib,
Phillips.
Add these to Dallas’ pool and this is your pick 22 menu.