Draft History: 2003

IRVING – There was no battle for supremacy in the Cowboys' draft room Saturday. Coach Bill Parcells and owner Jerry Jones got along just fine.

In his first draft with the Cowboys, Parcells would have preferred to trade down in the first round, stockpile picks and take a defensive tackle.

Jones was in full agreement, but no team wanted to make a deal.

So with the fifth pick of the NFL draft, the Cowboys grabbed Kansas State cornerback Terence Newman, the top-rated player on the draft board of at least 10 teams.

In the second and third rounds, the Cowboys added Wisconsin center Al Johnson and Tennessee tight end Jason Witten.

Parcells believes in strong offensive and defensive lines that can control games in the fourth quarter. A tight end has also been a key component of every team he's coached.

His impact on the draft was easy to see.

"Bill was very involved. He has tremendous respect from me, and I really do listen to his input," Jones said. "He influences the decisions that we make."

The Cowboys coveted Newman, Kentucky defensive tackle Dewayne Robertson and Oklahoma State defensive tackle Kevin Williams.

The Jets traded a pair of No. 1 picks and a fourth-round selection Friday for Chicago's first-round pick, the fourth selection overall, to take Robertson.

Jones had maintained all week that he wasn't inclined to move up in the draft because he wanted to add picks – not give them away – if he was going to move away from an elite player such as Newman.

With Newman available, the Cowboys figured another club might offer them a sweet deal, but their phone never rang.

"Essentially, I'll be home playing for America's Team," said Newman, whose mother, Wanda, lives in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. "This was one of the top two places that I wanted to go. Cincinnati was the other, because I would've been the No. 1 pick, and I would've been playing for Marvin Lewis, who's a defensive genius."

Make no mistake, draft day was different with Parcells, who had more input in the Cowboys' draft than any coach since Jimmy Johnson left after the 1993 season.

While the owner is still prone to occasional hyperbole, comparing some aspects of Newman's ability to that of Deion Sanders, Parcells simply said he hoped Newman would contribute at some point this season.

Jones, who normally uses his personal jet to fly the top draft choice to Dallas for a news conference, said he wasn't doing it this year because it was expensive to fuel the jet for a trip to New York to pick up Newman. Actually, Parcells asked Jones not to do it this year.

"I've never been part of bringing in a first-round draft choice immediately. I like to bring them all in together," Parcells said. "I don't care if they're drafted first or 300. None of that matters now."

Still, Newman has special talent.

But there are questions regarding his age, height and a shoulder injury that has healed slowly. Newman, who will turn 25 at the start of the season, suffered a pinched nerve last season and has not regained full strength in the shoulder. Also, at 5-10 1/2, he's a little shorter than most pro scouts prefer.

None of that bothered Jones or Parcells.

Teaming Newman with safety Roy Williams and cornerback Derek Ross, each of whom intercepted five passes as rookies last season, should give the Cowboys one of the NFL's best young secondaries, while giving defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer more flexibility.

With Newman's ability to cover receivers without safety help, Zimmer can blitz more, and he can also play Williams or safety Darren Woodson closer to the line of scrimmage to stop the run.

"Sometimes an offensive coordinator can scheme to neutralize a defensive lineman, but a legitimate corner who can take a receiver away forces offensive coordinators simply to not throw over there,'' Jones said. "The ability to take away one side of the field was a huge consideration."