Inside Cowboys War Room: Coach Mike McCarthy 'Big Boy' NFL Draft Message

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made the point in a post-draft presser that McCarthy was instrumental in using the war room environment to remind the Dallas braintrust of the physicality needed to win playoff games

FRISCO - Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, as we all know, was not deeply involved in his team's NFL Draft process in his Green Bay days. He is, however, involved here at The Star - and is delighted to be.

With that delight comes some authority to speak out on righting a wrong.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made the point in a post-draft presser that McCarthy was instrumental in using the war room environment to remind the Dallas braintrust of the physicality needed to win playoff games - something that many think was lacking when the Cowboys were ousted by the Niners to start last year's postseason.

As David Helman of DallasCowboys.com put it: “I think, that the Cowboys think, that they got 'big-boy’ed'' by San Francisco, and a lot of these picks are trying to correct that.”

"Big-boy'ed'' - that is, "out-physicall'ed.''

And now along comes the nine new Dallas kids:

Tyler Smith, OL, 24th overall

Sam Williams, DE, 56th 

Jalen Tolbert, WR, 88th 

Jake Ferguson, TE, 129th 

Matt Waletzko, OT, 155th 

DaRon Bland, CB, 167th 

Damone Clark, LB, 176th 

John Ridgeway, DT, 178th 

Devin Harper, LB, 193rd

The Cowboys' haul here is notable in the "physical traits'' area. Smith is a 6-5, 320-pound mauler. Williams is Ole Miss' all-time single-season sack leader. Ferguson plays with a tough-guy edge. Waletzko is 6-8. Clark was arguably college football's best linebacker last year. Ridgeway is 6-6, 320.

Tyron Smith

getty

Help wanted

There is no perfect solution. There was no no-brainer pick. COO Stephen Jones already had a model for what Dallas dreams of ...

"If you find me another Zack Martin ... I take that all day long," Stephen said this week. "If you were to draw one up, I just say go look at Zack Martin.”

Zack & Zeke

© Tim Heitman USA Today Sports

Stephen Jones

Without Martin's clone available, the Cowboys nonetheless chased physicality. Obviously, the presence of Martin, Dak Prescott, Tyron Smith and Ezekiel Elliott key the offense in this area, and on defense, Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence do the same.

But they didn't do enough of it. This draft might change all of that.

READ MORE ...

The Cowboys started the process filling needs with their early picks of "shocker'' Round 1 offensive lineman Tyler Smith (info here), Round 2 edge Sam Williams (a controversial pick) and Round 3 receiver Jalen Tolbert (already "hooking up'' with Dak Prescott.) The rest of Dallas' picks, and their evaluations, can be found here.

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