Biggest draft misses for Dallas that could've altered history since 95

Zekeats

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1. Randy Moss WR
Dallas still had the triplets in their prime, a very good offensive line and a not too shabby defense. Maybe Deion sticks around a little longer too so the secondary doesn't fall apart either. I honestly think we challenge for a ring the next 3 seasons with Moss who was such a game changer. Honestly in his prime he was by far the greatest WR.

2. Chris Johnson RB
Another generational talent. You put this guy behind Romo and on the field with Owens and Austin look out!. His speed wouldve been perfect for Dallas and I think we wouldve been way better from 2008-2012ish. We had some great teams that wouldve taken the next step with adding CJ and minus Felix.

Do you have any like mine where at the time you knew they drafted the wrong guy and left a game/team changer on the board?
 

waving monkey

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traded a 2nd to go up for Claiborne[:facepalm:] and also missed on Bobby Wagner. Come to think of it could have had Michael Brockers with our first. Not sure he would fit our scheme but the whole draft other then out 3rd pick blow out [DLaw]
 
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America's Cowboy

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Passed up on:

WR Jimmy Smith (drafted 36th spot (2nd round) by Cowboys in 1992, cut him in 1994) picked up by Jaguars, became one of the NFL's best WRs ever (top 24 all time in yards receiving, higher than Michael Irvin).
LB Derrick Brooks
WR Randy Moss
RB Priest Holmes (no one even drafted him through 7 rounds)
RB Steven Jackson
DT JJ Watt
LB Bobby Wagner
LB Luke Kuechly
LB/Edge TJ Watt
 

J817

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Passed up on:

WR Jimmy Smith (drafted 36th spot (2nd round) by Cowboys in 1992, cut him in 1994) picked up by Jaguars, became one of the NFL's best WRs ever (top 24 all time in yards receiving, higher than Michael Irvin).
LB Derrick Brooks
WR Randy Moss
RB Priest Holmes (no one even drafted him through 7 rounds)
RB Steven Jackson
DT JJ Watt
LB Bobby Wagner
LB Luke Kuechly
LB/Edge TJ Watt

You can probably write an encyclopedia sized book on draft misses by the Cowboys. Thing is, you can probably do the same for the other 32 teams as well.
 

DB_Cooper

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Passed up on:

WR Jimmy Smith (drafted 36th spot (2nd round) by Cowboys in 1992, cut him in 1994) picked up by Jaguars, became one of the NFL's best WRs ever (top 24 all time in yards receiving, higher than Michael Irvin).
LB Derrick Brooks
WR Randy Moss
RB Priest Holmes (no one even drafted him through 7 rounds)
RB Steven Jackson
DT JJ Watt
LB Bobby Wagner
LB Luke Kuechly
LB/Edge TJ Watt

We lost Jimmy Smith in the expansion draft. He wasn’t cut.
 

America's Cowboy

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We lost Jimmy Smith in the expansion draft. He wasn’t cut.
That's not what it says on the NFL's own website:

"Former wide receiver Jimmy Smith played thirteen seasons in the NFL. Smith was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 1992, and after he was cut by the team in 1994, he signed on with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995 where he remained for the rest of his football career."

https://www.nfl.com/photos/jimmy-sm...00445580#323c3b21-2bc5-4abe-8d86-ea3e5ec756ab
 

JoeKing

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You can probably write an encyclopedia sized book on draft misses by the Cowboys. Thing is, you can probably do the same for the other 32 teams as well.
Here's the thing. This isn't 31 other teams Zone, it's CowboysZone, so you have members of this forum posting about the Cowboys. Now that I've caught you up on the premise of what's going on here have a good time browsing the various threads. You might even learn something. ;)
 

J817

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Here's the thing. This isn't 31 other teams Zone, it's CowboysZone, so you have members of this forum posting about the Cowboys. Now that I've caught you up on the premise of what's going on here have a good time browsing the various threads. You might even learn something. ;)

Doubt it. But I see your point, have at it.
 

BAT

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That's not what it says on the NFL's own website:

"Former wide receiver Jimmy Smith played thirteen seasons in the NFL. Smith was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 1992, and after he was cut by the team in 1994, he signed on with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995 where he remained for the rest of his football career."

https://www.nfl.com/photos/jimmy-sm...00445580#323c3b21-2bc5-4abe-8d86-ea3e5ec756ab

Not true.

Jimmy played 1 season for Eagles before he went to Jags.
 

JayFord

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Every team in the nfl has passed on players that ended up being great

Tom Brady was passed over by all 32 teams 5 times
Terrell Owens was passed over by all 31 teams at the time twice
Dan Marino was passed over by multiple teams
Joe Montana didnt even go in the first round

but of course Moss, and Steven Jackson stung a bit especially Steven Jackson because he was right there and we traded the pick.....

but both Moss and Jackson were passed over by multiple teams

Aaron Rodgers dropped so far in the first round they had to take him in the back

it happens to all 32 teams its not a big deal
 

America's Cowboy

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Not true.

Jimmy played 1 season for Eagles before he went to Jags.
No, you @BAT and @DB_Cooper are wrong...

"
Dallas CowboysEdit
Smith was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round (36th overall) of the 1992 NFL Draft. He missed the first four games after he broke his right fibula during the Dallas Blue-White Scrimmage on July 19. After missing ample time during the season, he was listed as the fourth wide receiver on the Dallas Cowboys' depth chart, behind Michael Irvin, Alvin Harper, and Kelvin Martin. On October 11, he made his professional regular season debut during a 27–0 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. In a Week 16 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, Smith had the highlight of his rookie year, tackling Deion Sanders during a punt return in a 41–17 victory. He played in just seven games as a special-teamer, without registering a reception. The Cowboys finished first in the NFC East, with a 13–3 record. On January 10, 1993, he appeared in his first career playoff game during the Cowboys' 34–10 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, playing on special teams. Smith earned the first ring of his career as a rookie, after the Cowboys went on to Super Bowl XXVII and defeated the Buffalo Bills 52–17.

In 1993, he was leading the team in pre-season (13) and receiving yards (197), while competing for the role as the third wide receiver that was left open with the departure in free agency of Kelvin Martin, behind Irvin and Harper. On August 21, Smith began feeling a pain in his abdominal area and brought it to the attention of two trainers and the team doctor, J.D. Zamarano, and was given Pepto Bismol, Maalox, and Tagamet. He played in the next preseason game and caught a touchdown reception, and was waved back in by a coach after taking himself out from taking a hit to the abdominal area that worsened the pain. Over the next few days, he repeatedly brought the pain to the attention of the trainers and wasn't given adequate care or the correct diagnosis. He asked to be directed to a doctor and was told to see the team doctor who gave him a checkup and took him to see the team surgeon, who finally diagnosed him with appendicitis. On August 24, 1993, he underwent an emergency appendectomy. The following day, the surgeon released him from the hospital, notwithstanding a 102.5 °F (39.2 °C) fever. On August 27, Smith was readmitted to the hospital after waking up in severe pain, vomiting and with a bloated stomach, because of a severe post-surgical infection that was nearly fatal. He went into emergency surgery for an ileostomy, in which a portion of his intestine was dissected and removed, with an external bag then fitted to collect his fecal matter, forcing Smith to miss the entire season, including Super Bowl XXVIII.[2] On October 2, the Cowboys placed him on the non-football illness list and opted not to pay his entire $350,000 salary for the 1993 season, as well as his insurance, pension, and free agent credits, instead making Smith an offer of $100,000 and no credits, which he declined.[3] The NFL Players Association filed a grievance with the Cowboys on Smith's behalf, alleging that he was due his full salary, which he won after going through arbitration.[4]

On July 11, 1994, he was waived after refusing to take a pay cut.

Philadelphia EaglesEdit
On July 19, 1994, he was signed as a free agent by the Philadelphia Eagles but was eventually released on August 30.[5]

Jacksonville JaguarsEdit
On February 28, 1995, Smith was signed by the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars after a tryout.[6] He made the team after head coach Tom Coughlin saw his talents.[7] He competed with Desmond Howard, Ernest Givens, Willie Jackson, Cedric Tillman, and Curtis Marsh throughout training camp for a job as a starting wide receiver. Head coach Tom Coughlin named him the fifth wide receiver on the depth chart behind Howard, Givens, Jackson, and Tillman. He finished the season leading the Jaguars in kickoff returns.

The next year, he became a starter after Andre Rison was released following the 11th game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He would emerge as a dominant receiver..."

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Smith_(wide_receiver)

As you can see, the NFL said it correctly...as did I. Jimmy Smith was cut "waived" by the Cowboys on July 11, 1994. The Eagles signed him days later on July 19, 1994, but they cut him a month later on August 30, 1994, thus Jimmy Smith never actually made it to a Regular Season to legally ever be considered a Philadelphia Eagle. Jimmy had to wait until February of 1995 until the Jacksonville Jaguars came around and offered him a job. The rest was history...

PS: What a terrible and ****** thing Jerry and the Cowboys front office did to treat Jimmy Smith that way due to an bad appendix that required emergency surgery. That was cold blood awful and so wrong. Karma came back and definitely bit then in the arse. Jimmy Smith made sure of that.
 

buybuydandavis

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1. Randy Moss WR
Dallas still had the triplets in their prime, a very good offensive line and a not too shabby defense. Maybe Deion sticks around a little longer too so the secondary doesn't fall apart either. I honestly think we challenge for a ring the next 3 seasons with Moss who was such a game changer. Honestly in his prime he was by far the greatest WR.

2. Chris Johnson RB
Another generational talent. You put this guy behind Romo and on the field with Owens and Austin look out!. His speed wouldve been perfect for Dallas and I think we wouldve been way better from 2008-2012ish. We had some great teams that wouldve taken the next step with adding CJ and minus Felix.

Do you have any like mine where at the time you knew they drafted the wrong guy and left a game/team changer on the board?

Tom Brady, etc.

There are endless players we *didn't* take that we would have been better off if we had. We should focus on the one's we took that we shouldn't have taken.
 

FuzzyLumpkins

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lol less than a week until the first game and some want to wallow in past perceived failures.
 

SlammedZero

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The Cowboys drafted Julius Jones over Steven Jackson. I posted their career stats so they can be compared.

Steven Jackson Stats | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Julius Jones Stats | Pro-Football-Reference.com

At first it looked like a fine decision. After Julius Jones came back from injury, midway through the season, he came firing out of the gate. He looked like the real deal (IMO). Then he suddenly just fell off a cliff the next season and never did seem to find his stride again, unfortunately.
 
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