Past Drafts Possibilities

[The Duke]

So I'm thinking about the draft like the rest of you and thinking about players and strategies. There's alot of talk about taking the Best Player Available and whether this guy is not worth our pick at 11 but would be good at 20. This intrigued me to browse through previous years drafts in the Jones Failure at Drafting Era. Look at just some of the great possibilities that could have been on Day 1 drafting since 1994. No sense trying to think of how to do better in the Johnson Drafting Years right? I only went by guys I recognized so lineman probably tended to get cheated a bit. I went by the actual place we picked at and not worrying about trade scenarios. The Cowboy we selected is shown and then a player that was picked lower than our pick before our next pick.
The first column is Dallas' choice and the second is what was possible. My choice in Bold.

1994 1st Shante Carver DE or Issac Bruce WR / Kevin Mawae C
2nd Larry Allen G
3rd Willie Jackson WR or ?
3rd Dewayne Robertson LB or Dorsey Levens RB

1995 2nd Sherman Williams or Dilger TE/Bobby Taylor CB/Ted Johnson LB
2nd Kendell Watkins TE or Curtis Martin RB / Antonio Freeman WR

1996 2nd Pittman DE or Muhsin Muhammed WR
2nd Godfrey LB or Dawkins FS Toss Up...need?
3rd Clay Shiver C or Teddy Bruschi LB / Terrel Owens WR
4th Stepfret Williams WR or Jon Runyun T

1997 1st LaFleur TE or Trevor Price DE / Jamie Sharper LB / Tiki Barber
RB / Corey Dillon RB
3rd Coakley LB or Duce Staley RB / Mike Vrabel LB

1998 1st Ellis DE or Tra Thoma T / Spikes LB / Dyson WR / Moss WR
2nd Flozell Adams T or Samari Rolle CB / Trotter LB / Ahman Green
RB / Hines Ward WR

1999 1st Ekuban DE or Winfield CB / Al Wilson LB / Jon Jansen T
2nd Solomom Page G or Joey Porter LB
3rd Dat Nguyen LB or McKensie CB / Stokley WR

2000 2nd Goodrich CB or Coles WR / Droughens RB
3rd Larrimore CB or Young DT
4th Wiley RB or Gbaja Biamila LB / Dante Hall WR / Marc Bulger QB

2001 2nd Qunicy Carter QB or Dyson CB
2nd Tony Dixon FS or Shaun Rogers DT / Baxter CB / Burgess DE /
Steve Smith WR / Kareem McKensie T
3rd Willie Blade DT or Anthony Henry CB / Jonas Jennings T
4th Steele LB or Hartwell LB

2002 1st Roy Williams SS or Freeney DE / Shockey TE / more...
2nd Gurode G or Portis RB / Randel El WR
2nd Bryant WR or Branch WR

2003 1st Newman CB or Suggs / Gross T / many... Toss Up
2nd Al Jonhson C or Boldin WR / EJ Henderson LB
3rd Witten TE

1. I know its 20/20 but don't you immediately get the feeling like "What were they thinking!"

2. My next conclusion is BPA is the way to go ALWAYS. That years need does not typically match BPA. Dallas reached in the 90s for the DE when they could have patched the position and suffered but picked up a pro bowler at another position.

3. What would the Cowboys have done with Emmitt Smith and Curtis Martin on the same team? How about Julius Jones and one of the big 3 RBs 2005?

4. What do the Cowboys do with Irvin/Bruce/Muhamed/Owens/Moss? Why don't more teams load up on great talent at one position and then trade to other teams for vets kinda like Moss for Napolean Harris and pick?

5. Looking at this round by round I think out of a whole round there sometimes is only 1-3 guys worth anything. I don't think you worry about whether the person is a high 2nd or low 2nd the point is will that guy you want be there when we pick in the next round. Just get the best player at the time regardless of where they are projected to go.

6. Isn't it funny how so many guys up for free agency this year and last that we discuss endlessly were right there for the picking for us and we picked a dud instead?

[booboo]

"What were they thinking!"

yep, we would be better off with a draft sheet and 7 darts than who ever has been running our draft show over the past few years.

[The Duke]

Maybe 10 years after a draft, I would like to see the Cowboys publish their draft boards and maybe a story explaining their picks and the scenario that went down. This would be interesting to compare BPA theory works or not. I'd pay for it.

[Dough Boy]

1. I know its 20/20 but don't you immediately get the feeling like "What were they thinking!"

You could have saved yourself a lot of typing. This is revisionist at its best.
It is 20/20.

[Razz]

Maybe 10 years after a draft, I would like to see the Cowboys publish their draft boards and maybe a story explaining their picks and the scenario that went down. This would be interesting to compare BPA theory works or not. I'd pay for it.

Really? How much?
Cause I just happen to know where a copy of one of the Cowboys draft boards resides.

OK, forget the idea of paying for it .. just do a search of my posts.

[Spontae]

To be fair and accurate, make a list of ALL of the players chosen after our choices (busts) and you will see a LONG list of "d'oh!" players selected by other teams...20/20 indeed.