Why WFT is NFC East favorite right now, plus a dream Cowboys draft scenario

NFL Network analyst and former Cowboys offensive lineman Brian Baldinger joined the Shan & RJ on 105.3 The Fan [KRLD-FM] recently to talk all things football. Here are some of the highlights.

Who are the NFC East favorites right now – Washington with Fitzpatrick or Dallas with Dak?

Baldinger: “I don’t know, you could throw them all up in the air and see how they land today or tomorrow. … I think the Washington Football Team got better. Think they had an elite defense last year. That got better with the signing of [William Jackson III]. I think the quarterback situation is a lot more stable with Ryan Fitzpatrick. And adding a guy like Curtis Samuel, who is faster than the wind, to go with Terry McLaurin, I mean, I think they’ve gotten a lot better. So, I probably, today, on Friday, March 19, give me the Football Team.”

On some of the Cowboys’ moves in free agency so far…

Baldinger: “They spent a lot of money on a lot of players they drafted … and now they, two years later, they pay the quarterback. So, there’s not a lot [of salary cap] left. … You can’t keep a guy like [Chidobe Awuzie], who I’m sure they wanted to keep. Can’t keep a guy like Byron Jones, who I’m sure they wanted to keep. … I like Tarell Basham, led the Jets in quarterback pressures two years ago, but that’s the level of free agent you get to sign. Brent Urban, a 30-year-old defensive lineman who’s been a depth player for the most part wherever he’s been, but that’s where they’re at right now. They’re trying to rebuild a defensive line that was awful last year. They made a lot of mistakes in free agency with the guys that they signed. They paid for it. They suffered. They were as bad as any team in the league trying to stop the run. … And so, we’ll see if [Carlos] Watkins and those guys can plug the things up front that they had trouble with last year.”

What’s a dream scenario early in the NFL draft for Dallas?

Baldinger: “It’d be great if they could get a Day 1 starter at either the offensive line or the defensive line that plays at or is near a Pro Bowl level. That would help fix a lot of issues. Or just a guy who can change the game, whether it’s corner, pass rusher, or offensive lineman. They need their first round pick, they need to hit. Now, CeeDee Lamb is a really good player, great slot receiver. I don’t have any problem with drafting CeeDee Lamb. I think he’s going to be a good player for a long time. But they need a Day 1 starter that can play at that level or above at probably one of those three positions – corner, pass rusher, or offensive line. If they can do that, then I would say that would be a pretty good dream.”

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