FRISCO, Texas – Player acquisitions and roster development each move quickly in the NFL. In the case of the free agency period, a player can disappear from negotiations and be off the open market in a matter of seconds. Same can be said for the NFL Draft, where each pick is made, and futures decided, over a period of time shorter than a normal phone call. That's why this time of year is easily the most stressful for NFL front offices and scouting departments.
The best way to ensure an organization is ready for the miniscule amount of time to make these crucial decisions, is to have a plan (and maybe a backup plan) ready months ahead of time. With the events of the first week of the NFL free agency period now in the rear-view mirror, some may question what the plan is for the Dallas Cowboys this offseason. Dallas has already seen the departures of players like Chidobe Awuzie, Joe Thomas, and Cam Erving, further depleting positions of need.
This edition of The Draft Show mentioned just how important this time of year can be for a front office and if they aren't on the same page, just how much it can hurt an organization. There has to be an understanding between both sides where the money and importance are going to lean when a new league year begins. This year, it just so happens that the majority of the capitol is wrapped up in bigger contracts on offense and set aside for ten potential draft picks. Which makes things exponentially tougher on the pro scouting department for the second straight year. Here are some other important talking points from Tuesday's show, which you can watch here:
Cowboys Angle: Is Will McClay's top talent in the professional scouting side?
The Draft Show's Bryan Broaddus believes that Will McClay has an extra chip on his shoulder after the 2020 offseason. With his past experiences around McClay, Broaddus thinks the Cowboys Vice President of Player Personnel is better suited and more involved with the professional scouting department than he is with the collegiate side. Last year was a poor year for the pro scouts with additions like Dontari Poe, Daryl Worley, and HaHa Clinton-Dix that never made the impacts expected on the field. Because of this, McClay and staff have some added pressure to get it right in 2021, despite the luxury of leaning on the success of last year's draft.
Greatest Debate: Is offensive tackle a position that can be patient with?
Both Bucky Brooks and Kyle Youmans have been vocal about wanting to spend a premium pick on offensive tackle, because of how hard it is to find a good one at a young age. However, with the state of the defense being the way it is, the question on waiting for a tackle has to be asked. Both sides, drafting defense early and drafting tackle early, have a point and there's really no way to go wrong as long as a quality player is picked. However, it will continue to be a debate until the pick is made at tenth overall on April 29th.
Under the Radar Player: The depth of the defensive tackle class
Defensive Tackle is arguably one of the weakest position groups in the 2021 NFL Draft. But Bryan Broaddus says not so fast. As he's jumping into the film, there may not be the top prospect that we've seen in year's past, but behind Alabama's Christian Barmore, there are a bunch of potential starters in the second and third rounds. Players like Alim McNeill (NC State), Daviyon Nixon (Iowa), and Tommy Togai (Ohio State) all have starting potential that bring up the depth of the position group as a whole.
Thursday Preview:
A new addition of The Draft Show goes live Thursday at 10am CT as Dane Brugler, Jeff Cavanaugh, and Kevin 'KT' Turner join Kyle Youmans to take a look back at some of the best numbers from Pro Day. Also, a game of 'This or That' is on the docket with four different first round scenarios for the Dallas Cowboys.
