Cowboys set to visit draft-day Fantasy Island

By Carlos Zepeda  |   Friday, April 27, 2007  |  Comments( 19 )

Dallas Cowboys
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"The plane, boss! The plane, the plane!" Every year near the end of April, the NFL draft flies overhead to drop off bundles of every team's most desired fantasy. Some want that franchise quarterback; some want that giant wide receiver who can outrun a coyote.

This year, the Dallas Cowboys might not be asking for much from the fantasy plane. In a recent press conference, owner Jerry Jones made it known that he was confident in the Cowboys' chances to win with what they have.

There are no glaring needs on either side of the ball for Dallas, but finding some premium backups now could reward the team in the future. As it stands, the best option with the No. 22 pick would be finding a wide receiver who can eventually take over for Terry Glenn or Terrell Owens.

The duo was very productive last year, with Owens leading the league in touchdown catches with 13, and Glenn finishing with six. Both will be 33 this year, and T.O. is infamous for his seasonal outbursts. The question remains as to whether he will last the entire season or self-destruct and take the offense with him. With so much talent at WR in this draft, the Cowboys can buy some T.O. insurance in the first or second round.

The next backup and eventual future starter who needs to be found is a defensive tackle. The three first-round tackles might be long gone by the time Dallas picks. Justin Harrell from Tennessee could be available because some teams are worried about his past injuries.

The talk around draft rooms is that Michigan DT Alan Branch might fall into the middle of the draft because teams are questioning his intensity and work ethic. Jones hasn't ruled out the option of trading up in the draft, and if Branch falls far enough, look for Jones to pull the trigger.

At 6-foot-5, 321 pounds, Branch would be perfect for the 3-4 defense, giving the Cowboys a mountain to plug the middle. They are desperately thin at DT with starter Jason Ferguson as the only dependable player. New coach Wade Phillips might only need one more tackle to make a solid rotation.

Phillips actually does have some experience with troubled DTs. In 2005, San Diego (for which Phillips was the D-coordinator) drafted Northwestern D-tackle Luis Castillo, who dropped down draft boards after he admitted to using steroids. Castillo's rookie season ended with 49 solo tackles, 3½ sacks and an NFL All-Rookie team selection.

Whatever Jones does in this draft, it may very well cause a lot of commotion. And he wouldn't want it any other way.

Get original Dallas Cowboys draft coverage at RealFootball365.com.
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