PA Season Ticket Holder
05-11-2003, 01:45 PM
IRVING, Texas - Throughout the first part of the draft, the Cowboys were playing it safe by sticking to their draft board like glue.
Terence Newman was arguably the best athlete in the entire draft, making him a logical choice with the fifth overall pick. Al Johnson and Jason Witten were both the highest-rated available players at their respective positions, again making the Cowboys' decisions relatively easy.
In the fourth round, Bradie James was the best player left on the Cowboys' board, and then in the sixth, cornerback B.J. Tucker was certainly the fastest player available. No problem with erring on the side of speed.
But just a few picks later in that sixth round, that's when the Cowboys switched from fastball to curve, throwing everyone off by taking Hampton receiver Zuriel Smith with the 186th overall pick.
Zuriel who? Better yet, why?
Smith hopes the first question has already been answered, but knows the second is up to him to provide an explanation during training camp.
"I know a lot of people don't really know me at all," Smith said during last weekend's rookie mini-camp. "But I have things to prove, too. I think I can go out and make things happen. It doesn't matter if you're picked in the first round or seventh round. We're all here now."
The Cowboys didn't enter draft weekend with a rather strong need for a wide receiver. With Joey Galloway, Antonio Bryant and Terry Glenn projected to be the top three receivers, finding depth at other positions was a bigger priority.
However, Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells is a fan of punt returners. In fact, he coaches the position directly, and calls it one of the most courageous duties in the game.
So sitting with two picks in the sixth round and a player still on the board who had returned three punts for touchdowns in a single game, the Cowboys couldn't pass him up, even though he was a wide receiver.
Yes, that's right. Three punt returns for touchdowns in one game, taking place during Smith's junior season against Virginia State at Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands.
"Actually, I scored four in that game, but one got called back," said Smith, whose feat tied an NCAA Division I-AA record. "I guess that was just my day. That usually doesn't happen like that. But they couldn't stop me."
http://www.dallascowboys.com/news_050903.html
Terence Newman was arguably the best athlete in the entire draft, making him a logical choice with the fifth overall pick. Al Johnson and Jason Witten were both the highest-rated available players at their respective positions, again making the Cowboys' decisions relatively easy.
In the fourth round, Bradie James was the best player left on the Cowboys' board, and then in the sixth, cornerback B.J. Tucker was certainly the fastest player available. No problem with erring on the side of speed.
But just a few picks later in that sixth round, that's when the Cowboys switched from fastball to curve, throwing everyone off by taking Hampton receiver Zuriel Smith with the 186th overall pick.
Zuriel who? Better yet, why?
Smith hopes the first question has already been answered, but knows the second is up to him to provide an explanation during training camp.
"I know a lot of people don't really know me at all," Smith said during last weekend's rookie mini-camp. "But I have things to prove, too. I think I can go out and make things happen. It doesn't matter if you're picked in the first round or seventh round. We're all here now."
The Cowboys didn't enter draft weekend with a rather strong need for a wide receiver. With Joey Galloway, Antonio Bryant and Terry Glenn projected to be the top three receivers, finding depth at other positions was a bigger priority.
However, Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells is a fan of punt returners. In fact, he coaches the position directly, and calls it one of the most courageous duties in the game.
So sitting with two picks in the sixth round and a player still on the board who had returned three punts for touchdowns in a single game, the Cowboys couldn't pass him up, even though he was a wide receiver.
Yes, that's right. Three punt returns for touchdowns in one game, taking place during Smith's junior season against Virginia State at Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands.
"Actually, I scored four in that game, but one got called back," said Smith, whose feat tied an NCAA Division I-AA record. "I guess that was just my day. That usually doesn't happen like that. But they couldn't stop me."
http://www.dallascowboys.com/news_050903.html