CFZ Please remind me, why did we cut Mike White?

plasticman

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Our former 2018 fifth round pick started today for the New York Jets and his numbers were 22-28-315-3TD-0INT.

In 2018 the Cowboys kept two quarterbacks as Dak Prescott started and played every down that season.

The quarterback they decided to keep was Cooper Rush, no argument there. However, they found nothing in Mike White that made them decide to keep both White and Rush.

The Cowboys cut Cooper rush before the season and nobody wanted him, which allowed him to be on the practice squad, available to activate if needed.

White ended up on the Jets practice squad and, due to injuries to the other QB's he actually started a game in 2021 against the Bengals, the eventual conference champion.

White threw for over 400 yards in his first start and the Jets upset the Bengals.

I think this is a classic example of excellent evaluation by the scouts and poor evaluation by the coaches.

It's not the first time in Cowboys history, I'm thinking of posting a list of players that the Cowboys cut only to have really good careers.

It would include guys like 1983 second round pick LB Mike Walter, 1978 second round pick RB Todd Christiensen, 1992 second round draft pick Jimmy Smith, 1977 tenth round pick, QB Steve Deberg, and 1970 third round pick LB Steve Kiner. There are a lot of interesting stories there.
 

john van brocklin

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Our former 2018 fifth round pick started today for the New York Jets and his numbers were 22-28-315-3TD-0INT.

In 2018 the Cowboys kept two quarterbacks as Dak Prescott started and played every down that season.

The quarterback they decided to keep was Cooper Rush, no argument there. However, they found nothing in Mike White that made them decide to keep both White and Rush.

The Cowboys cut Cooper rush before the season and nobody wanted him, which allowed him to be on the practice squad, available to activate if needed.

White ended up on the Jets practice squad and, due to injuries to the other QB's he actually started a game in 2021 against the Bengals, the eventual conference champion.

White threw for over 400 yards in his first start and the Jets upset the Bengals.

I think this is a classic example of excellent evaluation by the scouts and poor evaluation by the coaches.

It's not the first time in Cowboys history, I'm thinking of posting a list of players that the Cowboys cut only to have really good careers.

It would include guys like 1983 second round pick LB Mike Walter, 1978 second round pick RB Todd Christiensen, 1992 second round draft pick Jimmy Smith, 1977 tenth round pick, QB Steve Deberg, and 1970 third round pick LB Steve Kiner. There are a lot of interesting stories there.
Christiansen and Smith really hurt.
Both had borderline HOF careers ....
 

exciter

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Our former 2018 fifth round pick started today for the New York Jets and his numbers were 22-28-315-3TD-0INT.

In 2018 the Cowboys kept two quarterbacks as Dak Prescott started and played every down that season.

The quarterback they decided to keep was Cooper Rush, no argument there. However, they found nothing in Mike White that made them decide to keep both White and Rush.

The Cowboys cut Cooper rush before the season and nobody wanted him, which allowed him to be on the practice squad, available to activate if needed.

White ended up on the Jets practice squad and, due to injuries to the other QB's he actually started a game in 2021 against the Bengals, the eventual conference champion.

White threw for over 400 yards in his first start and the Jets upset the Bengals.

I think this is a classic example of excellent evaluation by the scouts and poor evaluation by the coaches.

It's not the first time in Cowboys history, I'm thinking of posting a list of players that the Cowboys cut only to have really good careers.

It would include guys like 1983 second round pick LB Mike Walter, 1978 second round pick RB Todd Christiensen, 1992 second round draft pick Jimmy Smith, 1977 tenth round pick, QB Steve Deberg, and 1970 third round pick LB Steve Kiner. There are a lot of interesting stories there.
Eh, what I can remember scouting reports said he was going to need 2 or 3 years of development just to trust his Oline as he got hit a lot at western Kentucky or wherever. That 2nd preseason he was atrociously bad with people here lamenting that they believed he had regressed. They either cut their losses, or figured they wouldn’t be able to keep him on the practice squad or White may have not wanted to sign here. He ended up on the Jets practice squad for awhile and we signed Clayton Thorson to ours!
 

plasticman

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Eh, what I can remember scouting reports said he was going to need 2 or 3 years of development just to trust his Oline as he got hit a lot at western Kentucky or wherever. That 2nd preseason he was atrociously bad with people here lamenting that they believed he had regressed. They either cut their losses or figured they wouldn’t be able to keep him on the practice squad or White may have not wanted to sign here. He ended up on the Jets practice squad for awhile and we signed Clayton Thorson to ours!
Yes, I know what happened. Problem is, he was atrociously good today.

Romo didn't throw his first official NFL pass until his fourth season. I wonder what it was that made them feel White wasn't worth the same development.

Because, obviously whatever it was, they were wrong.
 

T-RO

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Let's wait to see what White really is.

He had a 400 yard passing game last season, shortly followed by a 4-interception game. The Bears pass defense is super bad, so today's game might be a little misleading.

I have no idea what to expect. I will be kinda rooting for him. Would make an interesting story.
 

exciter

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Yes, I know what happened. Problem is, he was atrociously good today.

Romo didn't throw his first official NFL pass until his fourth season. I wonder what it was that made them feel White wasn't worth the same development.

Because, obviously whatever it was, they were wrong.
Yeah, but you could see some promise in Romo that first pre season snap. White was just horrible that 2nd preseason. Again, I don’t know if they decided to cut loses or he didn’t want to sign to the practice squad. I think it was determined early they were only keeping 2 QBs on the roster (which was normal anyway) and he definitely didn’t win the job! I don’t think anyone could look at that preseason performance and have any inclination that he was going to perform the way he did today, not even the Jets!
 

quickccc

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Our former 2018 fifth round pick started today for the New York Jets and his numbers were 22-28-315-3TD-0INT.

In 2018 the Cowboys kept two quarterbacks as Dak Prescott started and played every down that season.

The quarterback they decided to keep was Cooper Rush, no argument there. However, they found nothing in Mike White that made them decide to keep both White and Rush.
The Cowboys cut Cooper rush before the season and nobody wanted him, which allowed him to be on the practice squad, available to activate if needed.

White ended up on the Jets practice squad and, due to injuries to the other QB's he actually started a game in 2021 against the Bengals, the eventual conference champion.
White threw for over 400 yards in his first start and the Jets upset the Bengals.

I think this is a classic example of excellent evaluation by the scouts and poor evaluation by the coaches.
It's not the first time in Cowboys history, I'm thinking of posting a list of players that the Cowboys cut only to have really good careers.

It would include guys like 1983 second round pick LB Mike Walter, 1978 second round pick RB Todd Christiensen, 1992 second round draft pick Jimmy Smith, 1977 tenth round pick, QB Steve Deberg, and 1970 third round pick LB Steve Kiner. There are a lot of interesting stories there.

LOL .. man i am Not for goin waaay back in Rod Stuart's time machine 5 and 6 decades ago to remember why we did a " Todd Christiansen" ...

- At the time Mike White was here ... he was a late round project with physical tools they liked.
- Size, .a big arm, college game tape production .. but of course he was raw and he needed developmental time.
- He has accuracy issues, he was slow in displaying a knack for the game,.. his practices was always reported as a struggle.
- Couldn't get the ball to the WRs,..struggle with huddle pace..just didn't develop as quickly as Cowboys preferred.

- Like i always tell some folks here, that some players just developed slowly and later than other players ... White had more time further to be coached up
with the Jets,..and games where he subbed for Sam Donald, etc. further helped his development.
White has developed into a much different and better than late round projects such as Ben Di'Nucci ...

- Who knew former Cowboys CB Chavarius Ward would be a btter CB than Awuzie ..and even Anthony Brown ?
But it happens around the NFL .. not just the Cowboys.
 

plasticman

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Yeah, but you could see some promise in Romo that first pre season snap. White was just horrible that 2nd preseason. Again, I don’t know if they decided to cut loses or he didn’t want to sign to the practice squad. I think it was determined early they were only keeping 2 QBs on the roster (which was normal anyway) and he definitely didn’t win the job! I don’t think anyone could look at that preseason performance and have any inclination that he was going to perform the way he did today, not even the Jets!
I'll bet the Jets did. They made him the starter today. They wanted him to start in favor of the 2nd overall pick in the 2021 draft, as well as the 18th overall pick in the 2008 draft. They saw something the Cowboys coaches didn't
 

ConstantReboot

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Our former 2018 fifth round pick started today for the New York Jets and his numbers were 22-28-315-3TD-0INT.

In 2018 the Cowboys kept two quarterbacks as Dak Prescott started and played every down that season.

The quarterback they decided to keep was Cooper Rush, no argument there. However, they found nothing in Mike White that made them decide to keep both White and Rush.

The Cowboys cut Cooper rush before the season and nobody wanted him, which allowed him to be on the practice squad, available to activate if needed.

White ended up on the Jets practice squad and, due to injuries to the other QB's he actually started a game in 2021 against the Bengals, the eventual conference champion.

White threw for over 400 yards in his first start and the Jets upset the Bengals.

I think this is a classic example of excellent evaluation by the scouts and poor evaluation by the coaches.

It's not the first time in Cowboys history, I'm thinking of posting a list of players that the Cowboys cut only to have really good careers.

It would include guys like 1983 second round pick LB Mike Walter, 1978 second round pick RB Todd Christiensen, 1992 second round draft pick Jimmy Smith, 1977 tenth round pick, QB Steve Deberg, and 1970 third round pick LB Steve Kiner. There are a lot of interesting stories there.

It happened during Garrett's tenure. They all knew he had a strong arm and was confident in his skills. His arm strength was even stronger than Prescott's. Our coaches back then was inept with their talent evaluation. Still can't get over why they skipped over T.J Watt for that bum from Michigan either. But it is what it is...
 

Calvin2Tony2Emmitt2Julius

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I'll bet the Jets did. They made him the starter today. They wanted him to start in favor of the 2nd overall pick in the 2021 draft, as well as the 18th overall pick in the 2008 draft. They saw something the Cowboys coaches didn't

So did the jets suck then,drafting 2nd overall pick,or do they suck now for replacing him
Point is you can't go back
 

TwoDeep3

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I have thought about the situation with Jimmy Smith a bit. I pulled this from Wikipedia. Granted that site could have a bias. Yet this story seems to ring true.

This had nothing to do with talent. It had to do with egos and a player demanding to be treated fairly, one would assume. With the wealth of talent the team possessed at the time, and the fact the player was pushing back - even though his reasons were justified - to me, this is another incident where success made decision makers think they were bullet proof.

One might make the case the Cowboys are still suffering from that hubris from all the way back to 1995.


Dallas Cowboys[edit]
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.[4] 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.[5] 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.[6]

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

Vabchshark

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I have thought about the situation with Jimmy Smith a bit. I pulled this from Wikipedia. Granted that site could have a bias. Yet this story seems to ring true.

This had nothing to do with talent. It had to do with egos and a player demanding to be treated fairly, one would assume. With the wealth of talent the team possessed at the time, and the fact the player was pushing back - even though his reasons were justified - to me, this is another incident where success made decision makers think they were bullet proof.

One might make the case the Cowboys are still suffering from that hubris from all the way back to 1995.


Dallas Cowboys[edit]
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.[4] 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.[5] 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.[6]

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

Yes, I remember reading about that and always thought they served him a dirty deal. Very good WR for Jacksonville going forward.
 

cowboyed

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I'll bet the Jets did. They made him the starter today. They wanted him to start in favor of the 2nd overall pick in the 2021 draft, as well as the 18th overall pick in the 2008 draft. They saw something the Cowboys coaches didn't
How could Mike White's interim or tentative quarterbacking success with the Jets no less, be predicted? This is a stunning hindsight post. Why did we (and 30 other teams) not draft 5th round pick, Tom Brady? Good grief man, shut off your Cowboys grudge detector. Any complaints possibly, of what your life was like when you were a fetus?
 

NickZepp

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Yes, I know what happened. Problem is, he was atrociously good today.

Romo didn't throw his first official NFL pass until his fourth season. I wonder what it was that made them feel White wasn't worth the same development.

Because, obviously whatever it was, they were wrong.
Our backup QB is like 5-1 as a starter? I'll take that for a backup.
 

BrAinPaiNt

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I'll bet the Jets did. They made him the starter today. They wanted him to start in favor of the 2nd overall pick in the 2021 draft, as well as the 18th overall pick in the 2008 draft. They saw something the Cowboys coaches didn't

Maybe these great visionaries finally took off the beer goggles they where wearing when they wasted the 2nd overall pick in other draft.
 
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