Cowboys Best/Worst 1st round picks. Ever

[T-RO]

We ground him out of the league. He was a great pick who was managed and utilized *horribly*. It was a sin against football.

Felix's career length was absolutely typical for NFL backs. 4 years and stiff decline is the norm w/the running backs. Don't know what you are saying.

 

[buybuydandavis]

Felix's career length was absolutely typical for NFL backs. 4 years and stiff decline is the norm w/the running backs. Don't know what you are saying.

I was clear about what I said.

 

[T-RO]

I was clear about what I said.

Not at all. Entirely fuzzy. Enlighten us about how the Cowboy coaches squandered Felix Jones with their unpardonable sin.

We eagerly await your answer.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

Still is and will always be Mo Claiborne.

1. What you traded to get him; and
2. What you gave up (Bobby Wagner & Michael Brockers); and
3. What Mo never became

 

[Aerolithe_Lion]

Still is and will always be Mo Claiborne.

1. What you traded to get him; and
2. What you gave up (Bobby Wagner & Michael Brockers); and
3. What Mo never became

Stephon Gilmore was the next CB taken, Fletcher Cox went before Brockers, and Luke Kuechly was the guy I wanted. That draft was LOADED with defensive talent

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

Stephon Gilmore was the next CB taken, Fletcher Cox went before Brockers, and Luke Kuechly was the guy I wanted. That draft was LOADED with defensive talent

I can’t prove it but I’ll always suspect Jerry made the impulsive move to trade up as reaction to not being in striking distance to draft Patrick Peterson the year prior. I think he viewed Mo as the next best thing.

 

[Aerolithe_Lion]

I can’t prove it but I’ll always suspect Jerry made the impulsive move to trade up as reaction to not being in striking distance to draft Patrick Peterson the year prior. I think he viewed Mo as the next best thing.

the one thing that’ll always stand out to me about that pick is espn ran a graphic showing he was the first top 10 CB who couldn’t run a sub-4.5 40 in like 13 years. Not that it had anything to do with his struggles, but that was one of those bizarre “baseball stats”

 

[McKDaddy]

Aikman was never dominant or elite, imo He was very good.

i think most people underappreciate players from pre 2000. it was a different game with way different rules. those guys were elite & would light up the league today.
the hits, and i mean REAL hits Aikman took would put most of today's players out of the game. the WR's weren't running wide open because they were also getting mugged and knew big shots were coming if they caught the ball in traffic.
i recently watched Aikman highlite package on youtube and even i had forgotten exactly how different it was. in short, the offense would not have moved if Aikman had not been putting throws in exactly the right spots because on so many there was no separation.
he was a true field general. understanding exactly how his team stacked up against the opponent and thus where to test and what to stay away from. legendary for accuracy & timing amongst not only his teammates but across the league. easily a 5,000 yard passer in the modern era.

 

[quickccc]

Felix was *phenomenal*. He failed because we turned him into a between the tackles RB and ran him while injured for 2 years. We ground him out of the league. He was a great pick who was managed and utilized *horribly*. It was a sin against football.
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/JoneFe00.htm

We paid the price for taking a change of pace back in the 1st round.
We could have easily opt for Longhorn's speedy Jamarle Charles or Ray Rice in the 2nd round but we sought to spend one of our rare two 1st round picks on
Felix Jones. (other went to CB Mike Jenkins)

I can recall some NFL teams doing so with the change pace (including Jimmie Johnson with John Avery) ..and that's a failed draft tactic.
I can only recall Bucs getting away with that with Warrick Dunn with became the 1-2 punch with Alstott.

Felix was drafted to complement starter Marion Barber III, so it's not like our plan was to pound him, he was also injury prone and couldn't stay healthy.
Cowboys even though to add more bulk and muscle to counter the durability issues and that only sought to slow a speedy back.

 

[RS12]

I see a lot of old bad picks which I agree with but no Taco? 2017 is as horrendous as 1995 or 2009.

 

[quickccc]

How many other 'very good' quarterbacks won 3 super bowls and has a bust in the hall of fame?

How many other very good QBs have that kind of extraordinary luxury supporting cast of HOF running back,.. HOF WR,.. most dominant OL in NFL history, ..
HOF head coach and top notch coaching staff, and NFL's top defensive units that included HOF edge rusher, and at tail end HOF corner

 

[Turk]

I don’t disagree with those points, but you still needed Aikman. Maybe the most impressive part of the 90’s Cowboys was the adversity they encountered in their playoff runs: The teams you beat in those NFCCG’s, SF and GB, immediately went on to win Super Bowls afterward. As good as those other players you named were, you still needed Aikman to overcome the odds.


A good QB is worth more than a HoF at any other position. It’s just the reality of football. Dallas benefited much more from taking Aikman in the first than they did Randy, no matter how much better a player he was.

Now that is BS. A good QB like say Matt Ryan is worth more than Emmitt Smith? SERIOUSLY?

 

[HowardC]

How is D Ware not in the top 10?

 

[Aerolithe_Lion]

Now that is BS. A good QB like say Matt Ryan is worth more than Emmitt Smith? SERIOUSLY?

Seriously. Go through the list of all time RBs, and you’ll see a list of guys who didn’t win rings, except for Emmitt who played with a HoF qb, and Walter who had the best defense ever.

Putting up 1500 rushing yards is impressive, but it’s not what wins championships.

now look at the list of above average to pretty good QBs who won without great RBs.


Emmitt was an important cog in the machine, absolutely, but Troy was the operator. An average team with an average QB and a great RB will lose to an average team with an average RB and just a good QB.

Thats just how football works. It’s why Matt Ryan gets paid more than any non-QB ever, that’s why QBs are overvalued in the draft, and that’s why they get all the glory. The game is designed around them.

It’s same argument about not drafting Pitts. Positional hierarchy. Of the 22 starting positions on O/D, TE is arguably 22nd most important, even guys like Gonzalez and Witten don’t change a lot in the grand scheme.

 

[HowardC]

They didn't draft Galloway or Williams but they wasted 1st round picks by using them to trade for them. They could have had Clay Matthews with the pick they wasted on ole alligator arms Williams...

 

[HowardC]

Claibust is definitely in the list of worst as far as I'm concerned. They could have had Cox and Wagner but went full ****** and traded for his bum a**.

 

[quickccc]

i think most people underappreciate players from pre 2000. it was a different game with way different rules. those guys were elite & would light up the league today.
the hits, and i mean REAL hits Aikman took would put most of today's players out of the game. the WR's weren't running wide open because they were also getting mugged and knew big shots were coming if they caught the ball in traffic.
i recently watched Aikman highlite package on youtube and even i had forgotten exactly how different it was. in short, the offense would not have moved if Aikman had not been putting throws in exactly the right spots because on so many there was no separation.
he was a true field general. understanding exactly how his team stacked up against the opponent and thus where to test and what to stay away from. legendary for accuracy & timing amongst not only his teammates but across the league. easily a 5,000 yard passer in the modern era.

- “5,000 yrd passer” - Which the same could be said for several of the better 90’s QBs such as Favre, Marino, Peyton, Young, Kelly, Cunningham, Moon, Esiason, etc.
And Aikman played in the very same era with same game, same rules, etc. that could have launched much more gaudy passing numbers.

- “ WRs were not running wide open “ really ? … what do you think Jim Kelly’s K-gun, ..Warren Moon’s run and shoo ...Favre with Sharpe, Brooks, Driver, etc .
Vikes with Moss, Carter -Reed,... or Rams' Greatest Show on Turf were doing during that era ? ….

- And ironically speaking of Warner - Rams, more so, Jerry became so infatuated with Kurt Warner and Ram’s Greatest Show on Turf that he thought Aikman could do so
the same in the rhythm time based offense he’s always operated out of that he began trying to accumulating speed receivers (ala Joey Galloway, Rocket Ismail, James Williams) and thought
Cowboys could mimic Rams passing offense, Nope..

- And BTW, it’s a reason why YouTube highlights are called “ highlights” its gonna contain all the pluses .. a better, more fairer assessment is all 22 or full game tubes.

 

[quickccc]

Seriously. Go through the list of all time RBs, and you’ll see a list of guys who didn’t win rings, except for Emmitt who played with a HoF qb, and Walter who had the best defense ever.
Putting up 1500 rushing yards is impressive, but it’s not what wins championships.

now look at the list of above average to pretty good QBs who won without great RBs.

Emmitt was an important cog in the machine, absolutely, but Troy was the operator. An average team with an average QB and a great RB will lose to an average team with an average RB and just a good QB.

Thats just how football works. It’s why Matt Ryan gets paid more than any non-QB ever, that’s why QBs are overvalued in the draft, and that’s why they get all the glory. The game is designed around them.

It’s same argument about not drafting Pitts. Positional hierarchy. Of the 22 starting positions on O/D, TE is arguably 22nd most important, even guys like Gonzalez and Witten don’t change a lot in the grand scheme.

Really ? then what do you call what Terrell Davis did for the Denver Broncos.?? (in back to back SB win seasons at that) …

 

[Typhus]

Shante Carver, he was a reach to replace haley and they compounded it by swinging and missing on Pittman a couple of years later.

I remember another record shatterer in Pepe Zellner, seemed that he was in that mix as well.
He was a fourth rounder but a bust nonetheless.

 

[Aerolithe_Lion]

Really ? then what do you call what Terrell Davis did for the Denver Broncos.?? (in back to back SB win seasons at that) …

Do you mean TD with the top 5 QB who ever lived? That TD?

Notice it’s the only 2k season ever to win a ring, much less even make the Super Bowl, much less even to make the championship game.

I wonder what the difference was? Hmm....

No other 2k rusher ever even made the divisional round. That’s a pretty crazy stat. But then Elway made 3 other super bowls without Terrelle. Interesting how that all plays out.