DEMETRICK BURGERCASA GRANDE, AZ
Hearing the news that Randy Gregory will be suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season was a huge blow to their defense and their draft day approach. In this upcoming draft there are two elite pass rushers, or will they snag two of the biggest commodities in Jalen Ramsey or Myles Jack?
Bryan: I don't believe that the Gregory news changes their approach at all. They knew that there was a potential problem with him and they were just waiting to see how the situation was going to play out and it now has. Their intent in my opinion was going to grab pass rushers regardless not because of Gregory but the likelihood that Jeremy Mincey, Jack Crawford and Greg Hardy are all free agents and might not be signed back. If guys like Joey Bosa and Noah Spence are on their board when it's time to pick and they are there at the right spot – then they will be considered.
Rob: Let's be clear: I'm not minimizing the impact of Gregory's suspension. Clearly it hurts the team's depth for the first month of the regular season. But from a draft standpoint I don't view things much differently than I did when the offseason began. The Cowboys already had question marks at defensive end with three players set to be free agents. It's still a need, but remember, free agency comes before the draft. Teams usually try to cover themselves at as many positions as possible before the draft so they can avoid reaching with their picks. The Cowboys will have a better idea about the shape of their roster by late April, and as it stands now, they have enough needs where they can essentially take the best available at No. 4.
RANDY SEEDLEWAKE VILLAGE, TX
When do we find out what compensatory picks the Cowboys will get?
Bryan:That would be determined at the Owners Meeting next month. Rob Phillips will be there covering it for DallasCowboys.com.
Rob: Typically they are announced during the March league meetings. In layman's terms, teams can be awarded compensatory picks if they lost more players to free agency than they signed last year. The Cowboys would qualify here, and they also lost several quality players in free agency last year, including DeMarco Murray, Dwayne Harris and Justin Durant.The maximum number of picks awarded is four.
