Listening to the Draft Show podcast last Thursday, I was wondering if the Cowboys will be awarded any compensatory picks this year? I know we lost and signed some good free agents, but I certainly don't know the formula. What do you think? Thank you very much. - JEFF EUDY / MOUNT AIRY, MD
Nick: No one knows the formula. I'm serious. There are people inside the organization that will tell you that it's a very complicated formula that is hard to understand. Now, you can make some calculated guesses. I would imagine Cole Beasley and Damien Wilson could get you a mid-round pick, but you also factor in what you signed in free agency in Randall Cobb and Christian Covington. So if I'm guessing, and that's all it is, I would say the Cowboys land an extra fifth and seventh-round pick.
Rob: Don't worry, we don't know the formula either. The NFL management council weights how many free agents a team added versus how many they lost the previous year. Salary, playing time and postseason honors are factors. I do know that much. With Cole Beasley, Damien Wilson and Geoff Swaim signing elsewhere last spring, it's possible the Cowboys get an extra pick or two. The league usually announces compensatory picks in February. Teams can't get more than four.
I was happy to see Cliff Harris make it to the HOF. But why is Cornell Green never mentioned? I always thought Cornell was just as good or better than Cliff. To me they are the two greatest safeties in Cowboys history. - GLEN LAMB / NEW JERSEY
Nick: Depending on who you talk to, you'll find some people who believe Cornell Green is one of the more underrated players in team history. I know Calvin Hill told me just a few weeks ago that he should be the next player into the Ring of Honor and longtime play-by-play announcer Brad Sham certainly agrees. Green had versatility to play both corner and safety and he was so good – probably overshadowed somewhat by Mel Renfro, but still really good. I think when Jerry Jones took over, he got some of the holdovers that Tex Schramm never put in – like Lee Roy Jordan and Bob Hayes and eventually Drew Pearson. But he didn't get everyone. I think Green, Harvey Martin and maybe Everson Walls and Too Tall Jones are guys that should be heavily considered.
Rob: First of all, congrats to Cliff Harris. I'm sure it was bittersweet getting his Hall call on the same day Drew Pearson got snubbed again. But yes, Cornell Green is definitely worthy: Five Pro Bowls, versatile player in the secondary, Super Bowl champion. Harvey Martin is another player from the '70s who deserves consideration. And how about my Talkin' Cowboys co-host Everson Walls? He was a finalist just two years ago.
