The One That Got Away...

[cstanton1987]

Larry Johnson and Randy Moss I remember when we passed on Larry Johnson me and my cousin were sitting down and both of screamed at the T.V. I know we ended up with J.J. and Demarcus Ware but L.J. may have a M.V.P. year this year. Randy Moss still hates Dallas I remember he killed us the first time he played us it was sick

 

[AsthmaField]

I could pick a lot... but we thought about trading up for Tony Gonzales but didn't think he was a big enough upgrade over David LaFluer to warrant the extra picks it would have taken to move up a few spots to nab Gonzales.

Ah, what could've been.

This is a classic example of what I mean when I say that if there's a player that we think is going to be a true difference maker, we need to bite the bullet and give up the extra picks to move up and get him.

 

[jcblanco22]

Kevin Mathis for Chris Bordano.

 

[Q_the_man]

I wish we can go back and draft Tony Mandarich

 

[burmafrd]

Johnson sat on the bench for a while when he refused to block. Can you imagine what BP would do with someone like that.

 

[Alexander]

Kevin Mathis for Chris Bordano.

I agree with this one. Mathis actually blossomed into at least a good 3rd corner and sometime starter. Bordano didn't play a down for us.

We made some pretty stupid trades back then, not just draft choices. Since you decided to dredge up bad memories, I'll raise you an O.J. Santiago for invoking the Bordano nightmare. Two can play your sick little game.

 

[Future]

oh boy, the ultimate "what if" thread. to be even more cliche, hindsight is 20/20

The draft picks that always bother me for some reason are all the same.

Dwayne Goodrich
Karim Larrimore
Derek Ross

Especially the later 2 because they were just such a waste of talent. Both of them could be starting this year and we would not have struggled the last few years if they hadn't been morons.

 

[J-DOG]

Larrimore has all the physical talent you could want...his character issues and the hippy-lettuce turned his career downhill.
One of my main gripes was when we let go of Jimmy Smith.
I remember that draft when we got him.
I spent the money for the Ourlad's draft preview book and I thought Jimmy Smith and Darren Woodson were dark horse sleeper picks.
Woodson because he was time at 4.38 in the forty but he played OLB at Arizona St. and was undersized for that position in the NFL.
Smith-went to a small school and his scouting report reminded me of what they said about Jerry Rice when he came out of college. Smooth route-runner and great hands.
That draft we had 4 picks in the first 2 rounds.
Round one-Kevin Smith-Texas A&M
Round one-Robert Jones-East Carolina
Round two-Jimmy Smith
Round two-Darren Woodson
I loved that draft. I knew we had a great first two rounds and I really thought that Jimmy Smith would be something special.
So....when we released him I was not happy at all.
Any good GM should never ever release a player until they are sure what they have in that player.
We just got rid of him like throwing out the trash...that was stupid and irresponsible in my opinion.

 

[theogt]

Most of the obvious choices have already been stated so I'll just throw out anothe.r

Passing up on Delhomme because we had 2 young QBs by the name of Carter and Hutchinson.

 

[Seven]

Most of the obvious choices have already been stated so I'll just throw out anothe.r

Passing up on Delhomme because we had 2 young QBs by the name of Carter and Hutchinson.

Please!! Make it stop!!!!

 

[gimmesix]

We missed on a ton of picks ... how about almost all the picks from 1994-2002??? We could have taken 60 10 year old kids, and they would have made more of an impact than the "players" we wound up with.

But of the players we DID choose, and let get away ..

Jimmy Smith
Ron Stone

Smith is the one that always comes to mind for me because Dallas spent so many years after letting him go looking for a good complement to Irvin. Based on Smith's career, I believe our slide to mediocrity would have taken a lot longer with him and Irvin as Aikman's primary target in the mid- to late-1990s.

 

[Teague31]

1. Drafting Quincy Carter instead of Shaun Rogers.
2. We had Brian Waters in camp as an undrafted FA. We cut him, now he is one of the best guards in football.

 

[jman]

Most of the obvious choices have already been stated so I'll just throw out anothe.r

Passing up on Delhomme because we had 2 young QBs by the name of Carter and Hutchinson.

That's the one that hurts the most to me. We've lived through the others...but we may still be paying for this one right now!

 

[jman]

Randy Moss gets my vote

Randy Moss would have never been "Randy Moss" if Dallas would have drafted him...

Totally different systems.

 

[jman]

Larrimore has all the physical talent you could want...his character issues and the hippy-lettuce turned his career downhill.
One of my main gripes was when we let go of Jimmy Smith.
I remember that draft when we got him.
I spent the money for the Ourlad's draft preview book and I thought Jimmy Smith and Darren Woodson were dark horse sleeper picks.
Woodson because he was time at 4.38 in the forty but he played OLB at Arizona St. and was undersized for that position in the NFL.
Smith-went to a small school and his scouting report reminded me of what they said about Jerry Rice when he came out of college. Smooth route-runner and great hands.
That draft we had 4 picks in the first 2 rounds.
Round one-Kevin Smith-Texas A&M
Round one-Robert Jones-East Carolina
Round two-Jimmy Smith
Round two-Darren Woodson
I loved that draft. I knew we had a great first two rounds and I really thought that Jimmy Smith would be something special.
So....when we released him I was not happy at all.
Any good GM should never ever release a player until they are sure what they have in that player.
We just got rid of him like throwing out the trash...that was stupid and irresponsible in my opinion.

Always hurt, never on the field, never made a play, never was anything period for the Cowboys, Throwing out trash...YES!!! He was for the Cowboys.

Look, as they say, one mans trash is another mans treasure...That's Jummy Smith. Things sometimes work that way...and that's Jimmy Smith.

But don't be over damatic about it.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Over the years, the Boys have passed on some draft picks, passed on some free agents, cut/released players, etc.

Which one still boggles your mind to this date, that you wished never happened?

While it is easy to make such a list of players, the same is true for each team.

 

[jman]

WR-Randy Moss ('98 Draft):bang2:
LB-Joey Porter ('97 Draft)
RB-Clinton Portis ('01 Draft)
RB-Jimmy Smith - Released after '92 season:bang2:
DE-Bertrand Berry (FA-''04)
LB-Keith Adams (Released after '00 season, later picked up by Philadelphia and has been a stud for them!)
K-Adam Vinatieri (FA-'06)
CB-Ty Law(FA-'05)

Truth...I don't see anyone on this list I cry for.

 

[Charles]

I'll throw this one out there because it's one of Gil Brandt's favorite stories to tell.

1979 ... third round.

Brandt maintains that Dallas always went straight by their board, but when this pick came up, Joe Montana was the guy at the top. Because Roger was still playing well and Danny White was waiting in the wings, they decided to pass on Montana and took Doug Cosbie instead.

Roger retired a year later.

As great as Montana was in the WCO in S.F., he may not have been as good of a fit elsewhere. Still, I think he would have beaten out White in a few years and it probably would have helped prevent a 49er dynasty.

Another one that has always bothered me is Dallas passing on Mike Singletary. Brandt and Company felt that he was too short (5-11). Grant Teaff told Brandt that he was making a mistake.

Singletary would have been great as the MLB in Landry's flex defense. They passed on a future Hall of Famer because he didn't have the height of a basketball player.

Great Post Chief:starspin :starspin :starspin :starspin :starspin :starspin

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

The people that mention Jimmy Smith are so misinformed.

There was serious talk that the man would never play football again. After we let him go, the Eagles signed him and they later offered him up in the expansion draft.

At the time, there was really no way for us to keep him.

Just like at the time there wasn't really any way that we could have drafted Moss.

I think the Delhomme one was huge. But it wasn't obvious. I remember that there wasn't really any outrage at the Ranch board when it happened. Some disappointment, then the guy wasn't even named the starter coming out of camp. But he sure has been a steal for Carolina.

The other one that really bugged me was Bert Berry. There was a lot of angst when he left without a contract. Well placed angst as it turned out.

 

[2much2soon]

Jimmy Smith had serious health problems (someone with a better memory than me can chime in with the specifics) and Philly cut him after he physically recovered enough to get on the field again after Dallas injury-settled with him.
It sucks it worked out that way but Dallas really couldn't keep the guy around given his medical situation. They knew he was good but the medical information they were getting was that the guy wouldn't play again.
I don't consider the Jimmy Smith situation on par, in stupidity terms, with things like trading 2 1sts for Galloway, drafting QC and Goodrich in the second round, or drafting guys like Shante Carver.