Sunday, April 19, 1998

Cowboys play it safe by rolling past Moss in draft

By MIKE BALDWIN / The Daily Oklahoman

IRVING, Texas -- The stage was set, and the Dallas Cowboys gave us the answer. No, they would not select talented but troubled wide receiver Randy Moss. The Cowboys made what owner Jerry Jones labeled "the safe pick" by selecting North Carolina defensive end Greg Ellis with the eighth selection.

"Was it a reach whether or not you should take him with the eighth pick or whether or not he'll be a dominant pass-rusher?" Jones said. "I just didn't have the stomach to take that risk."

Risk? To obtain additional picks, the Cowboys considered trading with New England, moving down to the 18th selection.

"It was going to really take something for us to move out of the top of that draft because we needed to fill our defensive line with us not having Shante (Carver) and Tony (Tolbert) winding down toward the end," Jones said.

There have been years the Cowboys have traded out of the first round, but they believe they've landed the equivalent of two first-round picks after selecting Michigan State offensive tackle Flozell Adams with the 38th overall pick.

"He's a highly rated player, that candidly, we didn't expect to be there for us in the second round," Jones said. "We actually tried to trade up several picks earlier to get him." Some will suggest the Cowboys drafted Ellis a little too high but may have gotten a steal with Adams. Most scouts thought highly of Ellis, but few had him going in the Top 10.

"People can project and they will second guess," first-year coach Chan Gailey said. "That's part of this game. The proof will come this year, next year and the next year as this guy (Ellis) pans out to be a player."

Texas coach Mack Brown recruited and coached Ellis at North Carolina.

"Greg is a tremendous athlete and an out standing person," Brown said. "It's unfair to think he'll step right in and dominate the NFL, but he's very mature, very tough and he broke the sack record of Lawrence Taylor."

Dallas had a scout in Charleston, W. Va., where Moss was watching the draft at his mother's home, but Jones hinted that was a decoy. Character was an issue for the Cowboys, who have been criticized for players having off-the-field problems in recent years.

"We picked a player that not only has the potential to step in and help us, but he's also an outstanding individual," Jones said. "I don't know when we've ever drafted a player that off the field had such outstanding comments made about him. That meant a lot to us."

Gailey's research says 70 percent of the defensive linemen taken with the top eight picks the past 10 years have become "very good or great" NFL players.

"If you get a defensive lineman below that eighth pick, the percentages go way, way, way down. There's only been a handful that would become so-called great players," Gailey said. "When you start dropping too far below that eighth pick, then you take chances."

Jones indicated earlier in the week if you're paying millions to a rookie, he needs to be come an instant starter.

"You do feel that pressure, but I think every first rounder is going to feel that pressure because you're that team's first pick," Ellis said. "You can't have it any other way. The pressure is there. If you can't start, you at least want to contribute."

Adams, the Big 10 Offensive Lineman of the Year, can play both offensive tackle positions. The Cowboys will weigh all options, including moving Larry Allen back to guard if Adams proves he can start his rookie season.

"We'll consider a lot of things," Gailey said. "Nothing is set in concrete right now."

Some had Adams, 6-7, 335, going in the top 20 picks.

"Our scouts had him very highly graded," Gailey said. "We're very impressed with his athleticism. He moves with ease. He's almost a graceful athlete."

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.)