The Cowboys apologists rallied to the cause in dismissing the release of former first-round pick Taco Charlton as a simple mistake. Nothing to see here, they indicated, while praising the work of chief scout Will McClay.
I hate to be a spoilsport, but cutting a first-round pick after only 27 games suggests the Cowboys made a pretty damn big mistake. Sure, you can point to the success of other first-rounders, such as Travis Frederick, Zack Martin and Zeke Elliott, but that doesn’t mean you get a mulligan on a bust like Charlton. Heck, the guy looked borderline dominant in the preseason, but now we know the Cowboys were only trying to show him off to other teams.
On Thursday, the hapless Miami Dolphins claimed Charlton. When you end up in this “tanking” organization, it’s not exactly landing on your feet. The Dolphins will debrief Charlton immediately in hopes of covering the 23-point spread Sunday. The Cowboys are now being celebrated for cutting their losses. But they are owed a modicum of jeers for whiffing on a player they desperately needed to perform.
I know it’s hard to notice during this March to Miami, but the Cowboys aren’t exactly putting the fear of God in opposing quarterbacks through two games. It’s been a problem the last few seasons despite the emergence of DeMarcus Lawrence. The Cowboys have two sacks after two games, and they continue to drop everything thrown their way in the secondary. Their hopes now rest on veteran Robert Quinn, who is coming off a two-game suspension. The Cowboys seem to believe Quinn is a world-class human being, but they also need him to threaten the quarterback, at times.
Charlton apparently had a lack of confidence due to his relatively poor play and the constant reminders of his draft pedigree. Rod Marinelli spelled it out for him leading up to training camp, but it seems nothing changed. Charlton will try to rehabilitate his career with a team that is trying to lose, so it might be the perfect fit.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys continue to celebrate the two-headed monster of Dak Prescott and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. I’m hearing whispers from folks in the organization who think Moore’s receiving too much acclaim, but that’s to be expected. He’ll face adversity soon enough, although it won’t happen Sunday. Playing the Dolphins is a combination of a preseason game and a bye week. It’s an opportunity to roll out the starters for a half and then hopefully turn it over to Cooper Rush and Company.
I assure you Sean Payton will have the Saints ready to play the following Sunday. Offensive savants such as Payton relish the opportunity to show they can flourish without their star quarterbacks. Doug Pederson rode Nick Foles to a Super Bowl win, and that playoff run will always define the two of them. Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill will offer a unique challenge for the Cowboys in New Orleans.
But please, don’t attempt to criticize Jerry Jones and his scouting department. These men have apparently earned the right to completely whiff on a pass rusher. Even fans seemed to enjoy watching the Michigan Man being thrown overboard. He’s gone from a Super Bowl contender to quite possibly one of the worst teams in NFL history.
If he’ll get over his embarrassment, he’ll realize it’s actually a pretty good opportunity. For the Cowboys, not being able to get anything out of Charlton showed they are human.
These folks are just like us. Who knew?
Now let’s get back to parade plans.
