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          NFL Nation

          Dallas Cowboys' Twitter mailbag, Part 2

          • Todd Archer, ESPN Staff WriterApr 26, 2015, 12:00 PM ET
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              Todd Archer is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Dallas Cowboys. Archer has covered the NFL since 1997 and Dallas since 2003. He joined ESPN in 2010. You can follow him on Twitter at @toddarcher.
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          IRVING, Texas -- Part 2 of the Dallas Cowboys' Twitter mailbag is ready.

          In it we discuss:

          Away we go:

          @toddarcher: I think the preference would be to go with a cornerback at No. 27 because I don't think there will be a pass-rusher worth the pick at that spot. One interesting name to watch will be Randy Gregory. You are hearing people saying he will fall. If he gets down to No. 27, I think the Cowboys would gladly scoop him up, issues and all. They could then go for a cornerback in Round 2. You said defensive back and defensive line. I went a little more specific because I don't think you will see the Cowboys go with a safety or defensive tackle in the first round.

          @toddarcher: Since we haven't had our pre-draft news conference with the Cowboys yet, it's hard to really pin down. I think the answer is Kevin Johnson. He can play press. He can play off. He runs well. He can break on the ball. Jones is a more dynamic athlete, but Johnson might be the better football player. What I like about Jones is that he could play safety if you needed. He played there at Connecticut. Though I believe Jones will be a good cornerback, my reservation is that how I feel about him stems from his workouts and not what I saw on the field. With Johnson, I saw a cornerback willing to do everything and a guy who got better every year.

          @toddarcher: This is a great question. The plan was to play DeMarcus Lawrence at left defensive end and have Greg Hardy play the right side. The Cowboys moved up to get him in the second round last year because they felt he was the last of the game-ready right defensive ends. He has the tools to play either side. To me, I would start him on the left side and keep him on the left side even when Hardy is suspended. Why? I don't want to overload him. I want him to get comfortable at one spot. They have a veteran in Jeremy Mincey, who can play both sides. I would let Mincey be the guy who moves around more because he has the experience of playing both sides.

          @toddarcher: I go back and forth on this issue because in part of what you brought up. Orlando Scandrick should be paid more than $1.5 million by any measure you want to take. He could possibly make less than Lance Dunbar and Chris Jones this year. Think about that. But he was the one willing to change his deal two years ago to accept more guaranteed money ($9 million) up front than to wait for it. The argument can be made that he was overpaid early in his deal when he didn't play as well. Now that he has had two very good seasons, he is clearly underpaid. So the easy way is to call it all a wash. Of course, that's not how it works out. I don't know why I feel this way, but I think something will get worked out on a new deal at some point over the summer.

          @toddarcher: Another good question, because they might be too late to the party at No. 60 to get the running back they want. Here's what I think: I think they will be patient and let it play out. I don't think they will move up in the second round to get a runner the way they did last year to get Lawrence because they are covered just a little bit better at running back now than they were at defensive end last year. Will Tevin Coleman be around? Maybe not. But could a Duke Johnson, T.J. Yeldon or Jay Ajayi be there? Yes. And they might have to take the runner in the second round, because the position could be picked over by the time they select again at No. 91.