Monday, April 20, 1998

Dallas finishes draft without picking receiver

IRVING, Texas (AP) - The Dallas Cowboys finished the NFL Draft without having selected a receiver to play opposite Michael Irvin.

Coach Chan Gailey says there's no problem with the Cowboys' receiving corps as it stands, but he's not ruling out other offseason moves to bring in another wideout.

"Some people see some kind of void, but I like our receivers," Gailey said Sunday. "That doesn't mean we won't look to upgrade because we're always looking to upgrade our football team.

"We did not draft what you call skill positions because we feel very confident in the skill level of our team."

Dallas took North Carolina defensive end Greg Ellis with the eighth overall pick Saturday and then selected Michigan State tackle Flozell Adams in the second round to help an offensive line that was battered last year.

On Sunday, the Cowboys added a defensive tackle, a linebacker, an offensive tackle, a defensive back, a running back, a guard and a tight end.

Gailey said the team filled needs on Saturday and went for the best athletes available on Sunday.

"Obviously we needed a defensive end and we wanted to bolster the offensive line and we did that with the first two picks," he said. "After that, we were going to take the best player available. Whether that helps the offense or the defense more didn't matter, we were going to take him."

With the 100th overall pick in the fourth round, Dallas was pleased to find Alabama's Michael Myers still available.

Myers, a 6-foot-2, 286-pound defensive lineman, was an All-American in 1996 but played only one game last year after being suspended for contact with an agent. Myers' past was a concern for the image conscious Cowboys, but his speed and agility were too much to pass up.

"We are very pleased to be able to get him at this level," said owner Jerry Jones. "We've looked into the cirumstances and investigated them and, as an example, I know he won't have those circumstances again."

In the fifth round, with the 130th overall pick, Dallas again went for a player who didn't play much last season.

South Carolina linebacker Darren Hambrick missed seven games with a fractured fibula in his left ankle, but did return in time to play in the Senior Bowl.

The Cowboys traded their sixth- and seventh-round picks (162nd and 197th overall) to Seattle for a fifth-round pick they used on Iowa State offensive lineman Oliver Ross.

Gailey said speed - under 5 seconds in the 40 - and ability to play more than one position were the key factors in drafting the 6-4, 300-pound Ross.

With their final four picks, all compensatory picks, the Cowboys went searching for "something special."

"When you get in the late rounds, you look for that one quality that separates a guy from all the other guys hanging around," Gailey said. "Late in the draft, you're looking for that guy with something special."

With Alabama-Briminham's Izell Reese in the sixth round (188th overall), the Cowboys got a big safety (6-2, 193 pounds) with speed.

At the 223rd pick overall in the seventh round, Dallas selected Cal running back Tarik Smith for his potential. Smith, (5-10, 200 pounds) missed eight games in 1996 due to knee surgery.

Georgia guard Antonio Fleming was taken in the seventh round (227th overall) because he is 6-3, 309 pounds and was clocked at 4.9 in the 40.

Dallas took Cincinnati tight end Rod Monroe with its last pick (237th overall) because of his athletic ability.

Jones said he expects many of this year's picks to hang around after the season starts.

"I really think these guys have a chance to make the team and get on the field," Jones said. "More than any time in the last five years, I feel like the players we're bringing in have a chance to make the roster."