The story behind the Cowboys landing Jason Witten

[Goldenrichards83]

On the lunchbreak today Nick Eatman told the story on how we landed arguebly the best TE in football in the 3rd rd.

Witten was projected as a 1st rd pick as we know. Well we wanted him at pick #37 and we were gonna take him but there were 4 or 5 TEs that they liked but no other centers. So they decided to take Al Johnson and get a TE in the 3rd rd. They couldn't belive Witten was on the board at the 69th pick. They got a call from San Fran about the pick. So the Cowboys ask them well who are you considering, they said Jason Witten. The Cowboys said no thanks and the rest is history. If that isn't luck than what is.

 

[jday]

Good story. Thanks for sharing.

 

[28 Joker]

When the Cowboys didn't draft Jason Witten in round 2, I was upset. That is understating it.

I didn't think they wanted him, so when they picked him, I was very happy.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

I remember the chat room. Some were wanting him in the first. Of course not with our first pick but if we could move back into the first.

When the second round rolled around the majority were typing his name as our selection hoping it would happen. No go.

I think if we would have passed on him in the third round we would have caused an internet shut down from that little chat room. :laugh2:

But when we did select him the chat room exploded, for some in more ways than one.

 

[Goldenrichards83]

On a side note. The year we picked Julius Jones can anyone remember who the pick was right after him?


Wait for it........



















Bob Sanders.

 

[AbeBeta]

I remember thinking. Hmmm, I liked Witten but the Eagles took LJ Smith. They draft a hell of a lot better than us so Smith must be better (keep in mind this was coming off their Sheppard-Lewis-Brown-Westbrook draft)

 

[btcutter]

Just goes to show you that sometimes it's better to be lucky than good and draft isn't an exact science.

 

[AbeBeta]

On a side note. The year we picked Julius Jones can anyone remember who the pick was right after him?


Wait for it........


Bob Sanders.

Whoopdeedee. Jared Allen was taken like 80 picks later. Michael Turner 110 or so later.

Teams miss. Get over it.

 

[Goldenrichards83]

Just goes to show you that sometimes it's better to be lucky than good and draft isn't an exact science.

Thats the bottom line.

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

We lucked out. Can you imagine how much it would stink to know that we had missed out on one of the best in the league to draft the one and only Al Johnson?

 

[HoleInTheRoof]

I'd be curious to know who the 3-4 other TE's were.

 

[joseephuss]

On a side note. The year we picked Julius Jones can anyone remember who the pick was right after him?


Wait for it........



















Bob Sanders.

I don't want someone who misses over 40%(he has played in 45 of 80 career regular season games) of the games played. Even when he does play he is not as good as the hype. I have watched him play. He is good, but he doesn't come close to all the Madden love he gets.

 

[AbeBeta]

We lucked out. Can you imagine how much it would stink to know that we had missed out on one of the best in the league to draft the one and only Al Johnson?

About as much as it stinks to know we drafted Roy Williams over Ed Reed?

 

[joseephuss]

I'd be curious to know who the 3-4 other TE's were.

These are the ones they had to pick from in 2003:

Dallas Clark 1st round
Bennie Joppru, 2nd round
L.J. Smith, 2nd round
Teyo Johnson, 2nd round
Jason Witten, 3rd round
Mike Seidman, 3rd round
Visanthe Shiancoe, 3rd round
George Wrightster, 4th round
Donald Lee, 5th round
Aaron Walker, 5th round
Trent Smith, 7th round
Richard Angulo, 7th round

 

[AbeBeta]

These are the ones they had to pick from in 2003:

Dallas Clark 1st round
Bennie Joppru, 2nd round
L.J. Smith, 2nd round
Teyo Johnson, 2nd round
Jason Witten, 3rd round
Mike Seidman, 3rd round
Visanthe Shiancoe, 3rd round
George Wrightster, 4th round
Donald Lee, 5th round
Aaron Walker, 5th round
Trent Smith, 7th round
Richard Angulo, 7th round

Clark is a stud but Witten is clearly the best on that list by a good distance.

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

About as much as it stinks to know we drafted Roy Williams over Ed Reed?

The early version of Roy was pretty good at least. Watching Ed Reed fly around when we played the Ravens last season did make cringe a little, though.

 

[joseephuss]

Clark is a stud but Witten is clearly the best on that list by a good distance.

And Dallas really could not draft Clark unless they did it with their first round pick. Obviously no team thought enough about Witten to draft him in the first two rounds including Dallas. It is funny that Dallas did not pass on Fasano or Bennett in the second round of their respective drafts.

 

[joseephuss]

The early version of Roy was pretty good at least. Watching Ed Reed fly around when we played the Ravens last season did make cringe a little, though.

I think a majority of teams would have drafted Roy over Ed although I think it would have been a close decision on who to choose. Both were very good coming out of college and early on no one could say that Dallas screwed up.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Teyo Johnson, 2nd round<==stupid Al Davis
Jason Witten, 3rd round

:starspin

 

[Chocolate Lab]

These are the ones they had to pick from in 2003:

Dallas Clark 1st round
Bennie Joppru, 2nd round
L.J. Smith, 2nd round
Teyo Johnson, 2nd round
Jason Witten, 3rd round
Mike Seidman, 3rd round
Visanthe Shiancoe, 3rd round
George Wrightster, 4th round
Donald Lee, 5th round
Aaron Walker, 5th round
Trent Smith, 7th round
Richard Angulo, 7th round

I remember seeing Joppru for the Texans when we practiced against them and scrimmaged them at the Alamodome in 2003 when both guys were rookies. The difference was night and day. Joppru was a lumbering oaf out there. Witten was huge and looked like he was in better shape, and could run much better and much faster.