NFC Notes: Draft, Cowboys, Texans

February 24, 2018

Draft

Ben Volin reports that the coin flip to determine the No. 9 and No. 10 overall picks in the draft between the Raiders and 49ers will take place next Friday at the Combine.

Tom Pelissero spoke with a number of scouts who mentioned that Louisville QB Lamar Jackson has a “really good” arm and running ability but also struggles with consistent accuracy.
Two scouts compared Jackson to former Steelers QB Kordell Stewart and said that the “best thing” that could happen for Jackson is to potentially slide to the third-round, in order to have time to develop.
An NFC director of scouting tells Lance Zierlein that Kansas DE Dorance Armstrong is a candidate to boost his draft stock at the Combine: “Don’t read too much into that sack total this year. They didn’t really cut him loose this year. I still like the talent and he will help himself at the combine.“
Zierlein also spoke to an AFC pro personnel director who believes there are just too many concerns with Florida WR Antonio Callaway for his team to take a chance on him: “Really natural athlete and pretty good player but there are just too many headaches to deal with so I can’t see us taking a chance on him. Our owner will say no and I don’t even think we would put him on our board to be honest.“
Here’s the list of 2018 NFL Compensatory Picks. (NFLTR)

Cowboys

Cowboys WR Dez Bryant mentioned during an interview with 105.3 The Fan in Dallas on Friday that any take of a possible contract restructuring is between him and the team.

“That’s a discussion for me, for myself and my agent and Mr. Jones and the Joneses, the Dallas Cowboys,” Bryant said, via ESPN.

There has been a lot of talk this offseason about Bryant possibly taking a pay cut and the Cowboys have even hinted at this being an option.

Bryant says injuries have impacted his production in recent years.

“I don’t even want it to sound like an excuse, but it is the truth,” Bryant said. “It’s like one thing that I know — [head athletic trainer Jim Maurer] will tell you — I hate going in that training room. I don’t like going in that training room, especially when I needed to be in that training room.

“But this time around, I want to take care of my body. I want to get it all the way right. I want it to be right. I promise you I ain’t having nobody questioning me again. This is what I love, and I accept everything that’s coming my way right now. That’s OK. That’s fine. I just want to work. That all I want to do. I want to work. I want to stay out of the way. I want to control what I can control and I want my respect. That’s it.”

Bryant added that playing for the Cowboys “means everything” to him.

“Man, honestly, it means everything to me,” Bryant said of playing in Dallas. “It means everything. I do want to bring this city a championship. We ain’t had one since the ’90s, and it really is about that time. That’s where my mind is. And we haven’t done it and I want to be a part of that because I do believe that it can happen, and we’ll just have to see.

“Like I said, I’m still working. I’m still grinding. I feel like I’m grinding more than I ever [have] because of me, not because of nobody else. It’s something that I want to do, something I feel like I have to do. I let a lot of things get in the way that shouldn’t have never got in the way. I really didn’t make my mark. I don’t care what nobody is talking about. I could care less. Everybody ain’t with Dez Bryant, they can kiss my ass.”