IRVING, Texas – Late Thursday night after the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft had concluded, Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said he was "offensive oriented" entering the day, mentioning that he's pleased with the talent already in place on the defensive side of the ball.
A concern to some is the age of the Cowboys' defensive line. Of the four projected starters, only defensive end Anthony Spencer is under the age of 30. What was Jones' answer to that? Well, don't look too far into the future.
"[Tyrone] Crawford is certainly going in that right direction," Jones said. "In no way do I think [Jay] Ratliff has injury issues. He did last year but that was pretty unique. I think [DeMarcus] Ware's an exception. Spencer and these guys are young 30-year-olds. Don't get me wrong, I'm interested in long term but I'm real interested in what's happening in the next 24-36 months. That's really what you ought to be looking at."
If the Cowboys had stayed at No. 18, many experts believe the best fit would've been one of the following defensive tackles: Florida's Sharrif Floyd or North Carolina's Sylvester Williams.
Floyd was projected to go as high as No. 3 but slipped to the Minnesota Vikings at No. 23.
"We feel like defensive line is a position of strength for us," Jones responded when asked about Floyd. "In our system, we would probably put a premium on a quick-twitch potential three-technique. We [graded] him as not that, but that he certainly may be capable of getting there. That's a case where are switch from a 3-4, he was obviously a nose tackle that had a lot of promise there at nose tackle. He's an outstanding football player. … Again, I think you got to put our decision-making with a real focus on doing something with the interior of our offensive line."
In regards to Williams, who went to the Denver Broncos at No. 28, Jones said the Cowboys "weren't pinpointing him."
Judging by Jones' post draft comments, don't be surprised if a safety is the only defensive position addressed in this draft.
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