Your All Time Overrated Pet Cats

[atlantacowboy]

Hogeboom was better than Henson. In fact, he started the ‘84 season opener against the Rams on Mon Night Football, and he threw for over 300 yards in a win. But once defenses figured him out, he was JAG.

Felix was a great KO returner. RB...not so much.

Felix was a classic Jerry mistake as he was drafted to share carries with MB3. This was on Hard Knocks. They thought b/c he did so well in a complimentary role at Arkansas splitting carries with DMAC that he would be an ideal fit. He did well in that role when healthy, but you don't use 1st round picks on guys to split carries.........and there were much better RBs later in that draft.

 

[Floatyworm]

Roy Williams
David LaFleur
Willie Blade

 

[sunalsorises]

12th round pick. I'll take a world dominant sprinter like Lewis any day of the week. Doesn't pan out, oh well.

Bob Hayes was a 7th rounder. Staubach a 10th rounder. Take a chance on a world-class athlete, and it can pay off big. Piddling risk, potential huge returns. No brainer.

I agree but have you ever seen him throw a baseball? It's only surpassed by how poorly he sings the National Anthem.

 

[buybuydandavis]

I agree but have you ever seen him throw a baseball? It's only surpassed by how poorly he sings the National Anthem.

Give Lewis a year training as a pitcher, and his pitch would looking pretty respectable. Emmitt won Dancing With the Stars. Not all athleticism is transferable between different sports, but much is, and the diligence to train and improve is.

 

[OmerV]

although before Jerry owned the team, this is the kind of thinking that had Dallas draft Carl Lewis.

There is a huge difference. Wright was drafted high in the 2nd round and Lewis was drafted in the 12th round. The Cowboys took a flyer on Lewis at the end of the draft.

 

[Parcells4Life]

This time of year is when “Pet Cat Disease” (or PCD) hits the strongest. You know the symptoms- Cowboys fans breaking into a cold sweat after watching a draft prospect’s overrated college highlight film, then falling in draft love with a mediocre pro prospect this team “has to have”. We were thrilled when they were drafted. We’ve all probably had at least 1 or 2 pet cats that turned out to be not that great.

Which leads me to ask: Who are the all time overrated Cowboys fans Pet Cats of the past? Here’s my short list:

• Rico Gathers- a former basketball player drafted in the 6th round, projected as a TE. Gathers quickly became an OTA and preseason legend- especially against UFAs in preseason games. You know like a 175 lb safety from a directional mid-major school that would never make an NFL roster. I’ve never seen a more overrated player than Gathers, who stayed stashed on this roster for too long.

• Beau Morgan- a former QB from Air Force who was being converted to RB in the Jimmy Johnson/Barry Switzer era. Morgan was an UFA who was essentially just a camp body who happened to lead the team in rushing in preseason. Which somehow convinced loads of fans that he was the real deal. Two straight preseasons Morgan led the team in rushing. And two straight Septembers, the Cowboys cut him, much to the pain of many Cowboys pet cat owners.

• Alexander Wright- a former second round pick of the Cowboys in Jimmy’s second draft in 1990. Wright was drafted because of his 4.4 speed and nothing else. He was fast, but as the old sayings go, “He couldn’t catch a cold”, or “Couldn’t play dead in a western movie”. Fast doesn’t make you a football player. Wright’s best year as a Cowboy was his first, when he caught 11 passes. Was traded to the raiders in ‘92.

There are many more infamous overrated pet cats. Who’s on your list?

Morgan had to go back to the Air Force if I remember correctly for a few years. Then when he was eligible to make the team they cut him.

mine will always be Anthony Wright and Tony Hambrick. Thought they were stars as backups and when they got their shot not so much

 

[Parcells4Life]

Also was a huge fan of Derek Ross. And then he went crazy.

 

[Bizwah]

My first pet cat (before that was even a term) was Robert Lavette. He always showed up in the preseason. I thought Mike Sherrard was going to be our next great WR. I also was big on Drew Henson (ugh) and Michael Wiley.

 

[timb2]

Rico Gathers

Rico Gathers should have known with The Kliq( Gareett,Witten,Romo) No way were they going to let Gathers take Witten's spot.....See Martellus Bennett


Taco Charlton

I think same locker room politics but Lawrence & Crawford this time

 

[quickccc]

It would have been an even greater dynasty if picks like Wright and Jimmy Smith (in Dallas) had panned out. Oh well...

did we just flat gave up on Jimmy Smith far too soon ? … or did Jimmy happen eventually to turn himself around in the later stages of his career ?

 

[plasticman]

I really thought Bruce Carter was going to be something special.

Bruce Carter was an LB taken in the 2nd round by the Cowboys. He was a work out freak whose combine time was better than every CB there. In one college game he blocked 3 punts...in the same half.

He made a couple of electric plays but spent a great deal of time on the injury list. He was a great athlete but it turned out he lacked LB instincts.

He had a very good 4th season with 5 INT's, one for a TD. However it wasn't enough for the Cowboys to resign him. He hopped around the NFL for another 4 seasons without doing anything special.

There are many more disappointments from players I thought would excel but this one sticks out for me.

 

[Stash]

did we just flat gave up on Jimmy Smith far too soon ? … or did Jimmy happen eventually to turn himself around in the later stages of his career ?

I would place most of the blame on the Cowboys. They misdiagnosed appendicitis which effectively cost Smith an entire season and then tried to lowball and intimidate him before cutting him.

 

[quickccc]

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/dal/draft.htm

1) Alexander Wright WR
2) Gary Hogeboom QB
3) Rico Gathers TE
4) Ryan Switzer WR
5) Darius Jackson RB
6) Gavin Escobar TE
7) Doug Donley WR
8) Charles Tapper DE
9) Stephen McGee QB
10) Randall Williams WR

 

[atlantacowboy]

Favorite pet cat was Matt Johnson. Out of that football mecca Eastern Washington, we reached for him in round 4 and he did not disappoint. He had a hammy injury that put him on IR for his rookie season. Expectations were high his second year, but he hurt his foot in the HOF game and missed the rest of that season..........which gave his legend a chance to grow. He was a sure fire pro bowler going into his 3rd training camp but suffered another hammy injury in TC and Dallas cut him. He then retired in glory but rumors of his unfulfilled potential linger in the minds of many cowboy fans..........or maybe its just me. .

 

[Mannix]

------If Troy had hit Wright with that pass instead of Alvin Harper in the 92 NFC championship game vs the niners, he would have scored.

Probably in the wrong end zone.

 

[Blast From The Past]

David LeFleur. Thought he was gonna be a great TE for a decade but back injuries prevented that from happening.

 

[bigdnlaca]

Basically any safety starting with Alan Ball once Hamlin was released.

 

[McKDaddy]

He was a great athlete but it turned out he lacked LB instincts.

so many people get caught up in the measurables which leads to bad evaluations. every sport has intangible attributes that can't be replaced. some positions more than others but all positions need some instinctual understanding of the game.

 

[CowboyDan]

 

[Carson]

These are the ones you just kind of know. When they draft you and you’re splitting kicks and have minimal accuracy!