Cowboys Have Hit on East-West Shrine Game Players

Like clockwork, draft season is is full effect and it’s just getting started. We’ve already seen Mel Kiper’s Mock draft 1.0 come out earlier. And for a lot of us, The Draft Show on DallasCowboys.com has also kicked off with a nice episode from Broaddus, Brulger, and Helman.

Part of the discussion on The Draft Show dug into Saturday’s East-West Shrine Game. You can see the game live on NFL Network at 4PM EST.

The East-West Shrine game kicks off the college all-star games, the other major all-star game is the Senior Bowl, which we be the following Saturday.

Some leisure fans probably don’t take much stock in the Shrine game, because it’s usually players with less name recognition, but don’t discount the Shrine game.

The Cowboys have hit on a couple of players from that game. Since Garrrett has been the Head Coach the Cowboys have drafted these players who participated in the game.

2011: David Arkin, OG
(undrafted) Dan Bailey, K; Orie Lemon, LB

2012: Tyrone Crawford, DE; Kyle Wilber, LB
(undrafted) Tim Benford, WR

2013: DeVonte Holloman, LB

2014:
(undrafted) Ben Malena, RB; Jordan Najvar, TE

The Cowboys have brought in players from the Shrine game and we’ve hit on a few. Tyrone Crawford has bloomed into a bonafide threat at DT and getting Dan Bailey undrafted has been a nice find and legitimate weapon for the offense.

We were also able to find a few players that have played well in rotational roles like Kyle Wilber and DeVonte Holloman was well on his way until his life threatening injury forced him to retire in the presason.

The Cowboys Draft Czar Will McClay was recently asked what types of players do the Cowboys look for and he said passionate players, players that love to play the game. I believe little-by-little Garrett has been able to get his types of players that fit that mold and this year we saw a glimpse of that collective passion coming together for some really gusty, never say die performances.

The Cowboys kept surprising us in close games in which they clawed and fought in every game. We’re a young team, and these challenging games, these must win games have grizzled the team and the next act could feel like our 1992 run. This team felt “real” this year, a legit contender and not a pretender.

The Cowboys of past folded like a cheap suit under pressure, this year we got a preview of what this team can do. With more players that fit Garrett’s mold, the Cowboys mental toughness will show up on the field again as a unified unit with the same goal. We are going to go to your house and punch you in the mouth and going home winners.

So, will we find any players that can contribute from the Shrine Game? Yes, and we have. So keep an eye on the game. The next Cowboys star could be in this game.

On DC.com’s The Draft Show, draft analyst Dane Brugler gave us a few names that have done some solid work in practice. He offers these three names to watch:

Tyeler Davison, DE, Fresno State

2014 PRESEASON TED HENDRICKS AWARD WATCH LIST: TYELER DAVISON, FRESNO STATE…The Scottsdale, Ariz. native returns for his senior season as one of the team’s most experienced players, having played in 39 games. He is a back-to-back All-Mountain West selection – 2012 First-Team and 2013 Second-Team – and was named a 2014 Preseason First-Team All-MW selection by the league two weeks ago. He owns 100 career tackles while playing nose guard and has recorded 15.5 tackles for loss in his career, included 6.0 sacks. Along with being on the Hendricks Award Watch List, Davison was also named to the Rotary Lombardi and Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch Lists this summer.

B.J. Finney, C, Kansas State

He has a stout body type and is not an easy guy to move from his spot, exhibiting excellent toughness in the trenches. Finney has quick snap and set up, but also gets too high and straight-legged in his stance, relying too much on his upper body to get the job done.
He is mobile enough to get to the second level and uses body angles very well, but needs to refine his hand placement, often landing his grip outside his target and getting tossed aside. Finney plays like a veteran and won’t make many mistakes, but also doesn’t have too many excitable traits for the NFL level. –Dane Brugler (6/4/14)

Tre McBride, WR, Willam & Mary

NFL Network also liked what they saw from Tre McBride. Both Mike Mayock and Daniel Jeremiah gave their praises:

Jeremiah said McBride (6-foot-1, 205 pounds) has stood out because he is “a smooth athlete who tracks the ball well.” McBride doesn’t have blazing speed, but he does almost seem to glide at times, moving easily in and out of cuts. McBride also has return skills and seems a lock to be the first William & Mary wide receiver drafted since 1973 (David Knight was an 11th-round pick by the New York Jets). McBride, who is from the Atlanta suburbs, finished his career with 196 receptions for 2,753 yards and 19 touchdowns. He would be the first offensive player from the FCS school drafted since 1992 and the fifth overall from the school this century.

Brugler has a nice piece on some other players to watch at the Shrine game. Check it out here.

Mayock also gives us his Top 10 players he liked during the practices:

Central Michigan DT Leterrius Walton (6-5, 305)
Georgia CB Damian Swann (6-0, 185)
Stanford S Jordan Richards (5-11, 210)
San Diego State OT Terry (6-5, 310)
Louisville G John Miller (6-3, 315)
Memphis CB Bobby McCain (5-11, 190)
Miami G/T Jonathan Feliciano (6-5, 320)
Rice CB Bryce Callahan (5-10, 185)
Louisville OT Jamon Brown (6-6, 328)
Virginia Tech S Detrick Bonner (5-11, 195 pounds)

More on these players here.

After the game, we’ll talk about who stood out during the game. Check back for the post game thoughts. The Cowboys need to reload, and that process begins this weekend.