Overrated Cowboy Players

[Apollo Creed]

Considering the majority of us in here are die hard fans, it's pretty difficult to call one of our boys overrated. So I'm making this thread to see what players that get constant praise, but in your eyes are average at best.

For example, I've been saying for years that Keyshawn Johnson is a terribly overrated player. Everyone rants and raves about his blocking, but his lack of speed outweighed his 'great' downfield blocking. Key was never a threat outside of the redzone, and talks to the media like he's putting up T.O. or Moss numbers.

Honorable Mention: Larry Allen

So who do you guys think, past or present, is an overrated Cowboy?

 

[EMMITTnROY]

First off, I still think that Keyshawn was underrated as a Cowboy.. he MIGHT be overrated in regards to his entire career and he might overrate himself, but as a Cowboy he never really got that many props.. he played hard, was consistent, made lots of tough catches, was classy as could be, and did all the little things..

and calling Larry Allen overrated is absurd.. maybe his last couple years, but not over the course of his career.. he is one of the greatest of all-time..

lastly, if anyone answers Roy Williams, I'm gonna get angry.. you won't like me when I'm angry..

 

[Doomsday101]

I hate to say it but Qunicy Carter, to this day we still get those who want to tell us how great the guy is.

 

[wesleyc288]

if i had to name one over-rated player on our current team it would be Marco Rivera....im only judging from what he did last year with the Cowboys

 

[jcblanco22]

It might seem absurd given the amount of success that Emmitt Smith enjoyed in the 90s, but I always was a bit suspect of the level to which Tunei, Newton, and Gogan appeared to raise their games once #22 hit town.

These guys were marginal at best under Landry and Jim Erkenbeck, who was a very good O-line coach, and they didn't set the world on fire in '89 either. Suddenly they were perrenial All-Pros for a while there, and yet these were players who had already been in the league a few seasons by 1990 (when Emmitt got drafted), so it wasn't as if they were making that "big jump" from Year 1 to Year 2 or anything like that.

Again, to be clear, I am not calling the offensive line of that era overrated as a unit, I am just referring to these 3 guys on an individual level. They certainly were above-average, but I don't know how well they would have done with a lesser back and lesser o-line teammates.

 

[dargonking999]

Thats a little broad in terms of right now overrated i'd have to go with hmmm probably Dextar coakley

relly i dont think there's nay overrated players on our team right, now i think most of them are good, and we've become so cautious now in give plaers creditits hard to for us to overrate them

 

[silver]

Considering the Madden ratings: Greg Ellis would be one.

 

[MC KAos]

i think you have a good point jcblanco22, the most overrated thing in cowboys history was probably that "amazing" oline the cowboys had in the early 90s. I mean, how many of them will be hall of famers or even ring of honor inductees?!?!?!?! and LA was only there in 95, not b4. In the same note emmitt is underrated IMO because of the overrated line

 

[ravidubey]

Mark Stepnoski was hugely overrated. The guy could get bullrushed by anyone. We lost him for the Superbowl and flat out dominated anyway. When he returned in the late 90's, he looked good only because the guy he was replacing was Clay freaking Shiver.

Charlie Waters (I know this will drive some old-schoolers crazy). He helped his defensive teammates prepare and plan and was loved by all, but when the rubber hit the road he was just a standard NFL safety, not the Godsend that everyone dotes on. When he was injured, our secondary was not as seriously affected as I knew it would not be.

Everson Walls. The guy was a ballhawk supreme, but he'd give up too many big plays in between his own big plays. I think he was ideally suited to be a free safety (the position he played for Parcell's Superbowl winners in 1990), but as a CB he was not consistent enough.

Ken Norton Jr. This guy made one play as a Cowboy. One. Stopping Kenneth Davis on the goalline in the Superbowl. Beyond this he was so over-hyped mainly because he was a 2nd round pick, very outspoken, and the son of a famous boxer. He could barely hang onto a starting job and made way too many tackles downfield.

 

[Chief]

Bill Bates, a fan favorite, the blue-collar overachiever, etc., was a good special teams player, but that's about it, IMO.

 

[ravidubey]

Again, to be clear, I am not calling the offensive line of that era overrated as a unit, I am just referring to these 3 guys on an individual level. They certainly were above-average, but I don't know how well they would have done with a lesser back and lesser o-line teammates.

I really enjoyed this insight. Thanks!

 

[Chief]

Mark Stepnoski was hugely overrated. The guy could get bullrushed by anyone. We lost him for the Superbowl and flat out dominated anyway. When he returned in the late 90's, he looked good only because the guy he was replacing was Clay freaking Shiver.

Charlie Waters (I know this will drive some old-schoolers crazy). He helped his defensive teammates prepare and plan and was loved by all, but when the rubber hit the road he was just a standard NFL safety, not the Godsend that everyone dotes on. When he was injured, our secondary was not as seriously affected as I knew it would not be.

Everson Walls. The guy was a ballhawk supreme, but he'd give up too many big plays in between his own big plays. I think he was ideally suited to be a free safety (the position he played for Parcell's Superbowl winners in 1990), but as a CB he was not consistent enough.

Ken Norton Jr. This guy made one play as a Cowboy. One. Stopping Kenneth Davis on the goalline in the Superbowl. Beyond this he was so over-hyped mainly because he was a 2nd round pick, very outspoken, and the son of a famous boxer. He could barely hang onto a starting job and made way too many tackles downfield.

Very good choices, with compelling arguments.

 

[EMMITTnROY]

It might seem absurd given the amount of success that Emmitt Smith enjoyed in the 90s, but I always was a bit suspect of the level to which Tunei, Newton, and Gogan appeared to raise their games once #22 hit town.

These guys were marginal at best under Landry and Jim Erkenbeck, who was a very good O-line coach, and they didn't set the world on fire in '89 either. Suddenly they were perrenial All-Pros for a while there, and yet these were players who had already been in the league a few seasons by 1990 (when Emmitt got drafted), so it wasn't as if they were making that "big jump" from Year 1 to Year 2 or anything like that.

Again, to be clear, I am not calling the offensive line of that era overrated as a unit, I am just referring to these 3 guys on an individual level. They certainly were above-average, but I don't know how well they would have done with a lesser back and lesser o-line teammates.

I actually agree with this completely..

Nate Newton even said himself that before Emmitt showed up, they were all just a bunch of fat guys but after Emmitt showedup, they were All-Pros.. it was his way of saying that Emmitt made them look really good..

Jimmy Johnson has even come out and said that the O-Line gets way too much credit for Emmitt's success and that Emmitt made them look a lot better..

I wish people would get it in their heads that Emmitt was a very very special back.. He really made it look too easy and people took it for granted.. There is a reason that the Cowboys could never win a game without him in the 90s.. they won without Aikman and they won without Irvin, but they could never win without Emmitt.. the offense was completely different when Emmitt wasn't in there.. I'm not taking anything away from all these other guys, I'm just saying that Emmitt was very very special..

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

First off, I still think that Keyshawn was underrated as a Cowboy.. he MIGHT be overrated in regards to his entire career and he might overrate himself, but as a Cowboy he never really got that many props.. he played hard, was consistent, made lots of tough catches, was classy as could be, and did all the little things..

and calling Larry Allen overrated is absurd.. maybe his last couple years, but not over the course of his career.. he is one of the greatest of all-time..

lastly, if anyone answers Roy Williams, I'm gonna get angry.. you won't like me when I'm angry..

Roy Williams.

 

[EMMITTnROY]

Roy Williams.

alright, you did it.. I told you that you wouldn't like it when I get angry!!

 

[ravidubey]

I wish people would get it in their heads that Emmitt was a very very special back.. He really made it look too easy and people took it for granted.. There is a reason that the Cowboys could never win a game without him in the 90s.. they won without Aikman and they won without Irvin, but they could never win without Emmitt.. the offense was completely different when Emmitt wasn't in there.. I'm not taking anything away from all these other guys, I'm just saying that Emmitt was very very special..

So damned true. Herschel Walker, himself an amazing running back, had trouble finding any consistency running behind Newton, Gogan, and Tuinei. Granted Big E made a serious difference, but Emmitt was dominating before Big E arrived and well before he started.

Emmitt had so many moves you'd just take them for granted. It was like having a scatback, a pass blocker, a breakaway threat, a grind-it-out power runner, and a goal line back all in one body. He was the best, and the haters just don't get it.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

alright, you did it.. I told you that you wouldn't like it when I get angry!!

LOL....

Just yanking your chain. I don't worship the ground Roy walks on and I don't believe that RLW is the best safety in the league but I do like his game, when he is allowed to play it. I like RLW even if he was a Sooner.

 

[AdamJT13]

if i had to name one over-rated player on our current team it would be Marco Rivera....im only judging from what he did last year with the Cowboys

Exactly who ever said Rivera was anything special last season?

It's widely recognized that Rivera was injured and mediocre -- at best -- last season. Are you saying he was even worse than that?

 

[NinePointOh]

Overrated? I looked over the current roster and was hard-pressed to find a single player half the fans and/or media don't complain about.

QB: "Bledsoe's slow, old, and throws too many picks. Romo and Henson are scrubs. We need a real QB."
RB: "Julius doesn't get through the hole quick enough, and he's always injured. We should have drafted Stephen Jackson when we had the chance."
WR: "TO's a cancer and both Owens and Glenn are too old to run onto the field. The Eagles and 49ers are laughing their butts off at Owens' nice guy act, because we all know it's a given that he WILL destroy the Dallas Cowboys."
TE: "Fasano? What a wasted pick! Why do we need another TE when we signed Hannam? Hannam? How is he supposed to fill Dan Campbell's shoes?"
OL: "Every o-line position is a question mark. This is easily the worst line in the NFL. Why didn't we sign Wahle instead of Rivera? If we pick up the phone when Lincoln Kennedy calls, it must mean our linemen are worthless."
DL: "Ellis is a cancer who needs to shut up and doesn't fit in this system. Spears can't stay healthy. Ferguson is old, overpaid, and will never be as good as Glover."
LB: "Singleton's worthless and always out of position. Shawne Merriman made the Pro Bowl -- we should have taken him over Ware. Carpenter was a reach and is injury prone. We should have taken Lawson instead."
CB: "Glenn is small and always gets burned. Henry got injured and nearly ruined our season. Why didn't we sign Ken Lucas or Fred Smoot?"
S: "Keith Davis is the worst player in the history of the NFL. He deserved to get shot repeatedly. Roy Williams is fat, slow, and covers less than Lil Kim's wardrobe."
ST: "Vanderjagt is a loudmouth idiot who's missed half his kicks in TC and flat-out can't kickoff."
Coaching staff: "Parcells has never won without Belichick. He's a jerk, a control freak, and he's holding our youngsters back with his own bloated ego. And he has breasts. The fact that Tony Sparano got promoted is a mistake of Neville Chamberlain-like proportions. Zimmer is too conservative and should have been fired long ago. Please let some other team be stupid enough to hire him as a head coach! Why didn't we sign Al Saunders and Gregg Williams like the Commanders did?"


These are really the only guys I could name that I don't hear many complaints about:

-Marion Barber
-Patrick Crayton
-Jason Witten
-Terence Newman

Witten and Newman were statistically at or near the top of the league in efficiency and production at their positions, so I could hardly call them overrated. Barber exceeded expectations, and the praise for him is fairly guarded.

So I guess, by default, I'm going with Patrick Crayton. Some folks consider him a capable #1 or #2 starter. He has shown some ability ... but the amount of praise he receives is probably over the top for a guy with 500 career yards.

 

[Apollo Creed]

First off, I still think that Keyshawn was underrated as a Cowboy.. he MIGHT be overrated in regards to his entire career and he might overrate himself, but as a Cowboy he never really got that many props.. he played hard, was consistent, made lots of tough catches, was classy as could be, and did all the little things..

and calling Larry Allen overrated is absurd.. maybe his last couple years, but not over the course of his career.. he is one of the greatest of all-time..

lastly, if anyone answers Roy Williams, I'm gonna get angry.. you won't like me when I'm angry..

He limited our offense, and gave defenses an opportunity to focus on Terry Glenn. He yelled in Bledsoe's face on the sideline after Bledsoe calmly asked him not to fumble the damn ball.

So as far as receiving production and class, I'm gonna have to scratch my head on that. Lets not forget how much he was getting paid to be a move the chains kinda guy.