bundling up and trading up."
Have you started to salivate yet?
So what's he talking about "trading up?" What neighborhood?
Again, if Jones isn't willing to spend next year's first or throw in a starter, then probably moving up much higher than 10th would be unreasonable.
"You are unlikely to get to six, seven or eight," Jones said, knowing that would take another first.
If you are following the universally used draft-pick value chart, moving from the 22nd pick in the first to the 10th - 12 spots - would cost the Cowboys their second and third, or in other words, their entire first day draft. Or, they could use their second, fourth, fifth, and two sixths to get there, from a value standpoint.
Boy, you better get yourself a can't-miss dude for all that.
Now then, what might it cost to move from 22 to say 13? That would cost you your second, and maybe a tad extra, you know, some juice. So basically two projected starters for one. Not too bad. But again, a lot of eggs in one basket.
Or how 'bout this, moving from 22 to 15? According to the value chart, that's a three, four and five. Within reason, although teams hate losing both their third and fourth.
Thus, bundle.
But if you are bundling, heck, you aren't picking a mere defensive lineman or offensive lineman, that's for sure. You are picking a guy who can have a great, first-year impact on that position.
"A wow guy," said Jones, who would seem to be willing to bundle if one of those seven, by his estimation, wow guys began falling in the 11-12-13 area.
To me, wow means - and let's assume they aren't taking a quarterback, the ultimate wow guy - running back or wide receiver with multiple skills, such as in the return game, or a corner or a guy with uncommon pass rush skills.
Could Adrian Peterson fall into that 10 range? If he did, then it would mean Jones might start shaking a leg attempting to move up.
What about a Ted Ginn Jr.? He's more than just a wide receiver. He can immediately help in the return game, and become one of those jack-of-all-trade offensive players while learning the receiving craft in the NFL.
Or maybe it's a LaRon Landry. After all, to select a safety - again - in the first round, Jones said on Monday the guy would have to be a "Roy Williams" type player. Well, look no further.
So you get the idea of what Jones is talking about. Instead of just staying put to select a David LaFleur - as they basically did in 1997, moving from 25 to 22 for the LSU tight end - or trading out of the 28th pick in 1995 for two seconds to snag Sherman Williams and Shane Hannah, the Cowboys would force the issue, doing what they can to get at least one impact player instead of two potentially OK players.
Now before you all start drooling, there is a catch to all this. Well, really, two. First, one of these wow players must fall into the Cowboys' realistic trade-up neighborhood. And secondly, you must find a dance partner, someone willing to trade out of that pick so you can move up.
As is usually the case, theory is much more appetizing than reality ends up being. But hey, at least there is a pipedream out there for Saturday, some hope the Cowboys might be willing to swing for the fences in this draft instead of driving that low and outside pitch to right field for a line-drive single.
So my friends . . . let's get ready to bundle.
Maybe.
