In a proof positive example that the NFL Draft is far from an exact science, the St. Louis Rams and Dallas Cowboys exchanged former 1st round draft picks in a deal that could have once been considered a blockbuster, but in reality was just a swap of on-field disappointments. The Boys and Rams had a swap meet of sorts filling needs for one another with Dallas receiving offensive tackle Alex Barron to fill a void left by the recently released Flozell Adams while the Rams got linebacker Bobby Carpenter in return to try and fix a woeful defense with an infinite amount of holes.

Barron was the 19th overall selection in the 2005 NFL Draft and started 74 out of 76 possible games during his time in St. Louis. Due to his struggles he was shifted from the left to the right tackle spot on the Rams offensive line, but never really found a niche in St. Louis leading the league in holding calls last season with five penalties against. The Rams drafted Jason Smith out of Baylor in the 2009 draft and look for him to become their left tackle of the future starting in 2010. For Barron in Dallas, he will be competing with Doug Free for the starting gig at left tackle and if he fails to win the job he will provide great depth and versatility as a pluggable player at either tackle position.

Carpenter was drafted to become a rush outside linebacker in the 3-4 scheme for Dallas, but he never panned out at that spot. The team experimented with moving him inside as a guy to step up into the hole and fill running gaps, but that really wasn’t his forte either. Arguably Carpenter’s best asset is his athleticism in defending the pass, but in the Dallas scheme he was rarely asked to do that. Many feel that he will be an ideal fit for the look that the Rams have defensively lining up as a 4-3 outside linebacker playing in coverage the majority of the time. Dallas had clearly moved on from Carpenter by drafting linebacker Sean Lee in the second round last month out of Penn State looking for him to step into the middle linebacker role. Carpenter should step into a starting role immediately in St. Louis where their defense has struggled in recent years with his stiffest competition on the depth chart coming from veterans Na’il Diggs and David Vobora.

It may be a bit too harsh to call these guys busts, but extreme underachievers is certainly a fitting label. A fresh start in a new city might be exactly what both of them need to get their careers on track and moving in the direction that many though would come earlier. This deal seems like a win-win for both cities where the organizations have clearly moved in a different direction and are looking forward to the future with the newest members of their teams.

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