Cowboys the movers and shakers of draft
NFLDRAFT
EDITOR'S NOTE: At press time, the first round of the NFLDraft was ongoing - Dallas picks at No. 22 and 28.

IRVING (AP) - Jerry Jones is in his element at this draft.

He has two first-round picks, the only team with such lavish trade bait.

His depth chart is already loaded, returning nearly every key player from the NFC's top-seeded team last season.

And, perhaps best of all, the clock will be ticking faster than ever: just 10 minutes to make potentially franchise-altering decisions in the first round, seven minutes in the second round.

"If there is anything I can do, it's make a quick decision," Jones said, smiling wide and winking. "I left out several other (decisionmaking) aspects, but I can make a quick one."

Wheeling and dealing built the fortune Jones used to buy the Cowboys and he's kept at it in the NFL. Sure, the former oil wildcatter has hit plenty of dry holes on draft day, but he keeps coming back for more.

Consider how he snagged this year's bonus first-rounder.

Dallas had the No. 22 pick last year and Brady Quinn was still available. Jones let Cleveland take him in exchange for the Browns' top pick in '08, figuring the Browns would struggle with a rookie quarterback and he'd have a single-digit pick this year.

Alas, Dallas wound up right back at No. 22. The Cowboys also have No. 28, their own selection, as a reward for going 13-3 last season. (There's no punishment for losing their first playoff game, only the shame of not having won in the postseason since 1996.)

Ever the optimist, Jones is thrilled to have two picks in the bottom third of the first round, calling them a better value than the expensive picks in the top 10. "I do like our spot," Jones said. "I don't think of a time that I've ever liked it better."

Ever? "We had three No. 1s going in in '91," Jones said. "That was good stuff in those times. I'd like to put that one right with (this one) because the dollars were doable with those kinds of picks there at that particular time."

Dallas also has No. 61, the third-to-last pick of the second round Saturday. Today, the Cowboys have the 27th, 28th or 29th pick in the third through seventh rounds, except for the sixth, when they have the No. 1 choice courtesy of a trade with Miami.

Despite all the head fakes and misdirection Jones was hoping to send at his pre-draft news conferencey, there are still several undeniable truths about what his team needs.

Secondary is the biggest area of concern, with adding cornerbacks more important than adding safeties. The Cowboys also are looking for a running back to share the load with Marion Barber; a shifty, speedy guy is their most likely target since Barber already is the bruising type. Dallas also could use a quality young receiver to minimize the risk of relying on 34-year-old Terrell Owens and Terry Glenn, who turns 34 around the start of training camp.

Whoever Dallas takes, the owner is counting on them to contribute right away, regardless of how stocked the roster already is.

"It'll be a big criteria," Jones said. "If we get in the project business, you'll see me trading down."