Jason Witten says draft ‘speaks volumes’ about where Cowboys headed
By Mike Dyce
The Dallas Cowboys No. 16 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft was on the clock, and Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel was still available. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones was able to resist temptation and drafted Notre Dame offensive lineman Zack Martin instead.
Jones declared the team better than the 2013 team.
“Yes, we are better,” Jones said, via the team’s website. “There’s no question about that. Relative to where we played last year, we’ve had a very impactful draft. We actually have had an impactful offseason, relative to the way we play. We’re better. And consequentially, when I look over at the offense, we haven’t taken a step back on offense at any place and matter of fact, without being trite, we’ve gained on it in my opinion. For me, I feel better tonight than I did when we quit playing last year. To me that isn’t just optimism for me. I do, factually, can look down here and say we’re a better team than we were this time last year as reality would have it.”
Tight end Jason Witten, who in many ways is the face of the franchise, praised the draft as well. Witten was quick to point out that Jones’ decision to draft Martin was a sign of the direction of the franchise.
“I think it has worked out well,” Witten said Sunday, via the Dallas Morning News. “I think Tyron’s as good of an offensive lineman as there is in the National Football League. Travis is everything you want at center. He’s smart, he’s tough, dependable, only going to get better in his second year. And now, Zack. I think when you do that, it just makes your entire football team go. I think this is a league where if you can be good up front, everything else flows off that.
“I think it says a lot about where our football team’s headed. It was huge for us because for a long time we didn’t have that solidified. I think it speaks volumes for where we’re at and where we’re trying to go.”