IRVING, Texas –After the Cowboys traded their first- and second-round picks in April to move into position to draft Morris Claiborne, owner Jerry Jones claimed he would walk to New York to get back his No. 2 selection.
The Cowboys ended up sitting out of the second round entirely, significantly frustrating for Jones because of the depth of the talent pool available when the team's original pick, No. 45 overall, rolled around. After the round ended, Jones confessed the team would've taken Utah State's Bobby Wagner in that spot. The inside linebacker was chosen by Seattle two picks later, at No. 47 overall, and is now starting for the Seahawks.
While the Cowboys will get a vision of what could've been when they face Seattle's defense on Sunday, it's doubtful there is any regret on Jones' part right now.
Bruce Carter, the 2011 second-round linebacker, has done just as the club had hoped another year off the torn ACL that dropped him out of first-round contention, winning the starting job and playing effectively.
Carter beat out free agent addition Dan Connor in training camp for the opportunity to play next to Sean Lee, another first-round talent, according to the Cowboys' evaluation. After starting his rookie season on the Physically Unable to Perform list, he became a special teams contributor down the stretch in 2011.
"Carter, that's like having another first-round draft pick," Jones told The Fan (105.3-FM) in Dallas on Friday. "I know that when we trade, we trade a two on draft day for somebody's one, that's the equivalent of somebody's one. That's just in draft pick evaluation. So, he comes in here, he's certainly at the level that you'd be looking at, at a No. 1 pick, and he had a camp and (is) playing like it."
