Draft Format Could Give Cowboys Advantage

With the Draft a little more than 24 hours away, the Cowboys' big board is set, the war room is prepped, and the suits have been altered and they fit perfectly. Now all that's left is to wait and pick. 

With this season's format, the first round will be tomorrow night, instead of on Saturday. Rounds two and three will be on Friday night, and rounds four through seven will be on Saturday. 

That leaves all day Friday for first-round analysis for every team, network, newspaper, and blog. What it also leaves are possibilities that the Cowboys could take advantage of. Jerry Jones takes full control during the draft including manning the phones and having the last say on who gets picked. 

Almost every other team who's looking to make a trade calls Jones first, because of his habit of trading during the draft; according to ESPN, Jones has made 55 draft day trades since 1989. 

The Cowboys could use this time to see what they want to do for the second day of the draft. Here's an example.

Let's say the Cowboys want Jordan Shipley in the third round (which most mock drafts have him going), however, they don't think he'll last until the 90th pick. They could use Friday to talk about possible trades. 

One trade could be sending Patrick Crayton to the Bears in return for their pick at 75 to move up to get Shipley, then have Shipley and Kevin Ogletree battle it out in camp for the third receiver spot. 

The Cowboys could use a similar scenario in the second round. It's no secret that they're looking to pick at offensive line and safety in the first round and they can only pick one. So they can use Friday to explore other options on getting the position they don't take. 

For instance, trading a later pick and maybe a backup to move up in the second round or even acquire another second-round pick to make their selection. 

The Cowboys have been known for trading down in recent drafts; stockpiling later picks, and developing players. This is the year the Cowboys can take a chance and become major player in the draft. 

The Cowboys aren't rebuilding; they have their starters lined up for this upcoming season. That gives them a lot of room to move picks and possibly backup players they already have. 

Last season the Cowboys were very conservative in the draft, taking pieces for the future and players who fit the scheme. This year the Cowboys have options and time to think about them, which along with other contenders makes them all the more dangerous.