Because it's never too early to start pounding a point into Jerry Jones' head, not to mention he'll have a premium pick in every round, so he can't mess this up, consider 10 do's and don'ts as the Cowboys recover from their semi-annual disappointment.
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1. Draft a quarterback -- In a quarter-century as owner, Jerry has taken only one quarterback in the first round: Troy Aikman. He doesn't like drafting them so high, or at all, because he's usually had a good one (Aikman, Tony Romo) and he hates spending premium picks on a guy who's just going to sit on his fat contract and wait. Unless it's Johnny Manziel, whose jerseys sell no matter what. Fortunately, Jerry seems to be warming to the idea of a quarterback with the fourth pick.
The question is, can he still get a good one? The best seem to be California's Jared Goff and Paxton Lynch of Memphis. If the Titans keep the No. 1 pick, they won't be interested in a quarterback. But who knows what happens if they trade down? Cleveland will take a quarterback at 2, and the Chargers might do the same at 3.
If the Cowboys can't get a quarterback they like with the fourth pick, go to Plan B: Michigan State's Connor Cook in the second.
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2. Hello, Rolando McClain; goodbye, Greg Hardy -- Both are good players who missed time this season because of suspensions, a constant concern. Both could probably be re-signed to reasonable contracts. But players with high risk/reward factors should be limited on any roster. The deciding factor between these two? McClain is cheaper and lacks a ready replacement. Randy Gregory didn't have a stellar rookie season, but defensive ends generally blossom in their second year, as DeMarcus Lawrence has demonstrated.
And as our Brandon George reports, Hardy's welcome has worn thin with some teammates.
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3. Draft Hunter Henry -- Trust me, this is one suggestion Jerry might actually take. Arkansas' tight end, No. 1 at his position, is a Jason Witten starter kit, which is good, because the original is just about worn out. Without his buddy throwing him the football, Witten's production dropped steeply this season. According to Football Outsiders, his DYAR, sort of football's answer to Wins Above Replacement, fell from fifth among tight ends to 24th this year. When Romo's around, Witten's still pretty good because of their chemistry. But how much will Romo be around next season? Better point: The Cowboys need all the explosive plays they can get from a receiving corps that, behind Dez Bryant, isn't very dynamic.
Might be moot if Henry goes in the first round as expected, leaving the Cowboys to use their second-rounder on a defensive player. A pass-rushing lineman, a defensive back, a linebacker, in that order.
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4. Sign Matt Hasselbeck as your backup quarterback and allow the draft pick time to develop -- He's 40 and may retire, but Hasselbeck went 5-3 in Andrew Luck's place this season. Would probably want $3 million, which is what he made this season and is nearly twice what Matt Cassel made. Did I mention Hasselbeck went 5-3? Pay the man.
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5. Don't sign RG3 or Johnny Manziel -- Both have already failed in their short careers, both have made too many headlines for reasons other than their play and neither fits Jason Garrett's style of offense.
And finding a quarterback is hard enough even when they're not wearing disguises.
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6. Draft a backup for Darren McFadden -- This is one Jerry got right last year, at least eventually. We'll try to forget Joseph Randle was the Cowboys' first choice. McFadden was the league's fourth-leading rusher and 37th among running backs in cap hit, at $1.15M, five spots behind Lance Dunbar and 29 behind DeMarco Murray. Dunbar will be back, but he's not really a back-up. He's an alternative, and maybe the Cowboys' most explosive player besides Dez.
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7. Draft a legitimate No. 2 receiver -- If Henry's gone in the second round, Josh Doctson would be a nice alternative. The TCU receiver isn't necessarily the deep threat the Cowboys need, but, like Dez, he's great on jump balls. He'll fight for the ball, anyway, a concept lost on Terrance Williams.
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8. If Doctson is gone, a speed option in the third or fourth -- Oregon's Bralon Addison, out of Missouri City, near Houston. A smallish playmaker in the mold of New Orleans' Brandin Cooks.
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9. Keep either Brandon Carr or Morris Claiborne -- They can't afford to let both go. They've asked Carr to take a pay-cut and will ask again. Good luck with that. Can't imagine Claiborne will get a lot of interest, but he played fairly well this year when healthy. And he'd be cheaper than Carr. The good news is Orlando Scandrick returns. Just don't count on Byron Jones, who needs to play safety full-time.
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10. Sign Adam Jones -- I know what you're thinking: He says limit the number of high risk/reward players, then he says to bring back the guy who had to pay more than $12 million last summer in a settlement over a brawl he caused in a 2007 nightclub incident. He'll also be 33 next fall. But here's the deal: He's apparently turned his life around, becoming an exemplary teammate in Cincinnati as well as a good cornerback.
Besides, he's a personal favorite of Jerry's secretary, Marylyn Love, who still calls him Pacman and gets away with it.
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Next time you feel an urge, Jerry, let Stephen talk you out of it -- see suggestion No. 5.
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