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IRVING, Texas - Earlier in the week, Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones downplayed the possibility of drafting a quarterback for the first time since 2001.
Turns out the club had its eyes trained on Texas A&M quarterback Stephen McGee all along.
At first glance, the Cowboys' selection of McGee at the top of the fourth round (No. 101) seems like an odd marriage. Unlike '01, when second-round pick Quincy Carter replaced a retired Troy Aikman, the Cowboys aren't seeking a starter or primary backup. Tony Romo and Jon Kitna own those two spots on the depth chart.
And McGee doesn't bring much experience in a traditional system, having toiled in a read-option offense until Aggies head coach Mike Sherman arrived during his injury-shortened senior season in 2008.
But the Cowboys clearly valued grooming a young quarterback after watching Tony Romo's previous backups struggle during his three-game injury absence last season. The Cowboys drafted only one quarterback (Bill Musgrave, 1991) during Aikman's 12-year career, and Jones admitted he thought the Hall-of-Famer "was going to last forever" before injuries partially led to his retirement in 2000. McGee could develop into a Matt Cassel-like prospect that attracts potential trading partners or better yet, a long-term backup to Romo.
Looking beyond McGee's modest passing numbers at A&M (4,889 in three healthy seasons under former head coach Dennis Franchione), the Cowboys like his physical and mental makeup. He's strong-armed as well as mobile, having rushed for 1,848 yards in those first three seasons, and he willingly captained a run-oriented system that probably stunted his draft stock.
"It hadn't gone all his way to say the least at A&M," Jones said. "How he dealt with that, how he dealt with less than what his expectations were, how he kept his chin up, how he kept competing and how he kept going with it. Big time to me on a personal basis."
McGee said he benefited from Sherman's pro-style offense even though he appeared in only three games due in part to a torn labrum.
"I knew it like it was first-grade math," he said. "It was easy to me and I picked it up quick. I had the best fall camp of my life and felt like I was going to have a huge year and then, of course, I had an injury to my throwing shoulder."
Now fully healthy, he'll get an opportunity to learn from Romo, Kitna and two former NFL veterans, quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.
"Certainly, if I would've been in a pro-style offense for all four years I could pretty much guarantee you I would be a first-round draft choice and I could have been in an offense that displayed my talents a lot better," McGee said. "But most importantly and first and foremost, I think any great quarterback will lay aside his own individual interest for the best interest of the team."
-Rob Phillips
Ellis' Concerns Are Justified
Greg Ellis' concerns about his job security are nothing new. They've become a right of spring over the last several years in the Cowboys' transition to the 3-4 defense and their use of draft picks on pressure players.
On Sunday the Cowboys added two pass rushers in the fourth round, Texas Tech's Brandon Williams and Victor Butler of Oregon State, who both led their respective conferences in sacks last year. Now Jerry Jones says he understands why Ellis would be worried.
"I know he had that same concern when Spencer came in. And that's rightfully so," the owner said. "I think the world of Greg, but one way or the other I don't want him to read about it, I want him to sit down and talk to me about it."
Jones wasn't firm on what the picks spent to improve the pass rush meant for Ellis in the short term, but did acknowledge the questions about Ellis' future were natural.
"We'll address that. Obviously that will be addressed, both any ambiguity or both that there is anything that needs to be addressed relative to Greg.
"But you're right, that is something that goes on every year," Jones said of Ellis' annual complaints. "It just goes on every year."
The Cowboys see an advantage in getting younger, particularly if it means nixing inflated contracts, so if Butler or Williams can play right away, Ellis may finally get his wish to be traded or released. Ellis' roster spot may come down to just how NFL-ready the two fourth-round rookies are. Jones was asked whether he expected them to be able to get on the field immediately. Their playing time may be determined this summer.
"That's the question. And that's what we will see," Jones said. "Certainly we'll have some acclimation to do, but I think they're players that I expect to be on the field at some point, and I'd expect them to be on the roster, and everything equal, to be on the 45 (man roster)."
-Josh Ellis
Beuhler, Folk Are Friends
The Cowboys drafted USC kicker David Buehler with the idea of making him a kickoff specialist and teaming him with incumbent kicker Nick Folk, who has made 86.8 percent of his attempts in two seasons.
Turns out the two are already good friends, having met at a kicking camp in college.
"I went to the Chris Sailer camp in Las Vegas in 2006 and I went as a kickoff specialist to try to compete to get my name out there to a Division I school," Buehler said. "And Nick was actually an instructor there. So I met him there and I think he might have actually held for me on field goals - it was either him or Jesse Ainsworth, but I believe it was Nick - when I was competing at that camp.
"I surprised all of the guys there and Nick came up to me and told me that I have a strong leg and said that I would definitely get picked up by some Division I school. So I ended up getting picked up by USC as I was a sophomore and he was a senior, and he and I have been talking off and on ever since."
Buehler and Folk share the same agent (Gary Uberstine at Premier Sports Management) and talked throughout the week about the upcoming draft.
"And little did I know that I was going to be there and be in Dallas with him," he said.
-Rob Phillips
Brewster Makes Ball State Proud
Offensive lineman Robert Brewster, the Cowboys' 75th overall pick, became the highest Ball State student-athlete drafted since Shafer Suggs was selected 33rd overall by the New York Jets in 1976. Brad Maynard also was taken 95th overall in the 1997 draft.
The Cowboys drafted Brewster for his versatility. He started 41 of 48 college games at right tackle but is expected to play guard for the first time since his freshman year in 2005.
"When I went over to visit (the Cowboys) they asked me to play guard and I said I feel comfortable with it," he said. "It's really not a big difference. My space is cut down a little bit more, but it'll be the same thing."
-Rob Phillips
Smith Continues Cowboys Tradition
Fifth-round pick DeAngelo Smith wore a Roger Harper football jersey Sunday in honor of his uncle, who played safety for the Cowboys in 1996.
"I was a Cowboy from Day One," he said.
Smith made 23 of 28 career starts at cornerback but is expected to play safety. He also is an accomplished punt returner with a career 9.5-yard average on 23 returns.
"There may be a possibility that he could be our punt returner next year also," head coach Wade Phillips said.
-Rob Phillips
Mickens Slides to Cowboys
Smith's Cincinnati teammate, cornerback Mike Mickens, likely would've been drafted much higher had he not missed the NFL scouting combine with a nagging knee injury that required arthroscopic knee surgery during his senior season.
The Cowboys clearly felt Mickens was worth the risk in the seventh round (No. 227), and executive vice president Stephen Jones said he's healthy enough to participate in workouts.
"It's not a matter of if he's going to be ready for camp or not. It's more of an issue of how well he's responded to his injury and can he get back to where he was," Jones said. "And after looking at him and visiting with him we certainly feel like he can do that.
"He's ready to go. It's just a matter of him getting out there, performing and doing what we think he can do."
Mickens and Smith combined for 26 career interceptions together, more than any other active college duo in 2008.
-Rob Phillips
Rookie Free Agency
The Cowboys are now turning their attention to signing seven to nine undrafted rookies, Stephen Jones said. The team has signed double-digit rookie free agents in recent years but has less room given its 12 draft picks, the highest total since the seven-round format was instituted in 1994.
Jones said it's likely the Cowboys will sign a fourth quarterback to help facilitate next week's three-day rookie mini-camp at Valley Ranch. The Cowboys have typically taken a fourth quarterback to training camp as well.
-Rob Phillips
Three Draft Trades
The Cowboys made three trades over the two-day draft weekend:
- Cowboys Trade: Round 2, 51st Overall
Buffalo Trades: Round 3, 75th Overall (Cowboys selected Robert Brewster); Round 4, 110th Overall (Cowboys selected Victor Butler)
- Cowboys Trade: Round 4, 117th Overall
Tampa Bay Trades: Round 4, 120th Overall (Cowboys selected Brandon Williams); Round 7, 229th Overall (Cowboys selected Manuel Johnson)
- Cowboys Trade: Round 5, 156th Overall; Round 7, 210th Overall
Atlanta Trades: Round 5, 143rd Overall (Cowboys selected DeAngelo Smith)
-Rob Phillips
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Rob Phillips - 
