As a lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan, much to the similarity of
the regular season, Draft Night has for the most part become an annual disappointment
for me. However, I was slightly humbled by this year’s draft--- or the 1st-round,
at least--- when JJ made a surprisingly good decision by selecting another offensive
lineman instead of the World’s greatest pine-riding jersey salesman, Johnny
Manziel--- honorable mention goes to Michael Sam. Even though I still disagree
with the Cowboys taking ANY offensive player in the first two rounds of this
year’s draft after trotting out the third worst defense in NFL history in 2013,
I’m taking the high road by choosing to look at Zack Martin as the lesser of two
evils, hoping that the Cowboys are constructing an offensive line that will set
the foundation of the team for the future.
Complaints aside, the Cowboys kickoff their preseason
tonight as they face the Chargers, and while the preseason can easily be over
analyzed by optimists and pessimists, alike, I always feel it’s important to
watch the rookies and second year players as they get an opportunity to
showcase themselves. As far as the rookies go, we already know 1st-round
pick Zack Martin will be highly scrutinized, and rightfully so for reasons I previously
alluded to, not including being the guy Sean Lee took on in non-contact drills
which resulted in a torn ACL. 2nd-round pick Demarcus Lawrence was
set to be placed under the microscope, also, as he was drafted to replace future
Ring of Honor inductee DeMarcus Ware, but won’t likely be able to play for
another 10 weeks because of a broken foot he sustained in training camp.
So who does that leave? The rookie I’m most excited to
evaluate in the preseason is 5th-round wide receiver Devin Street.
He’s not the fastest wide out, and he could definitely add some muscle to that
lanky 6’3” 200lb frame of his. But with the departure of Miles Austin and the emergence
of second year receiver Terrance Williams, Street could pick up an interesting
role in the Cowboys’ offense. Much like Williams, he’s a versatile guy with
experience playing in the slot and on the perimeter, but I’m interested to see if he can
steal the slot receiver role from Cole Beasley or special teams ace Dwayne
Harris.
With Austin out, Williams will be the fulltime outside receiver
opposite of Dez Bryant, which is really where he needs to be because not only
is he a deep threat, he also has an uncanny ability in assisting Tony Romo as he
extends plays when they breakdown, particularly in play-action. As far as Street’s
potential fit, I think he’s very comparable to Laurent Robinson or possibly
Patrick Crayton. Robinson was also a versatile receiver who was able to play in the
slot and on the perimeter. And because Bryant, Witten and Austin could draw a
double team at any point, Robinson was consistently left open, allowing him to
lead the team with 11 receiving touchdowns in his lone season as a Dallas
Cowboy in 2011.
Let’s be realistic for a second, don’t quote me as saying
Street is going to come in and put up double digit touchdowns upon arrival; the
game doesn’t work like that, and I’m not a blind homer. If it does happen, it’s
going to be over a period of time. I do, however, think comparing him to
Robinson is a fair ceiling to give to a guy who ranks as one of the best receivers
to play at Pitt, especially considering he’s been working out over the past few
offseasons with Cardinals All-Pro wide receiver and Pitt alum Larry Fitzgerald.
So ultimately here’s the way I see it, you’re going to read
this and ask me why you should exude any optimism about a 5th-round
player on a team that is destined to go 6-10 after you either express your disdain
for Tony Romo, or actually understand the game of football and explain that the
defense can’t hold a lead and the last seven weeks of the Cowboys’ schedule has
“collapse” written all over it, as they play five of their last seven games on
the road, one of them being in London. I say if you have it all figured out,
why dwell on it? Why not try to find something positive to look forward to as
the Cowboys approach yet another unfavorable situation? I mean really, didn’t we do
that with the Rangers for nearly 10 years? Look, am I putting high expectations
on Street as a 5th-round pick in year one? Absolutely. But I don’t think they’re
unrealistic over the next few seasons. He could easily wind up being the next
Andre Holmes just as easily as he could become the next Robinson or
Crayton. When he becomes Holmes, you can repost this and laugh. But if he
becomes a solid contributor in the slot, just remember, you heard it here
first.
