The story behind the Cowboys landing Jason Witten

[EveryoneElse]

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.

We dodged a bullet there. At least Julius Jones flashed some greatness.....Sanders is an overrated injury waiting to happen.

 

[AbeBeta]

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.

I think also that a majority of teams had Al Johnson pretty highly ranked as well. Are you willing to say we didn't screw up there?

 

[AbeBeta]

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.

He was good early -- however, hearing guys like Pendergrast talk about how he had him scouted as a poor learner who would struggle picking up pro Ds.... makes me cringe to see that some scouting information about Roy was ignored

 

[joseephuss]

I think also that a majority of teams had Al Johnson pretty highly ranked as well. Are you willing to say we didn't screw up there?

No, they did screw up. I actually thought so at the time. I was not an Al Johnson fan and thought Dallas could have made a better pick. I liked both Roy and Ed in that draft and would have been happy with either. Ed is the better player, but I don't think Roy is as bad as he is made out to be.

 

[AbeBeta]

No, they did screw up. I actually thought so at the time. I was not an Al Johnson fan and thought Dallas could have made a better pick.

He was ranked as a 2nd rounder by most services. But hey if you want to brag and say "I told you so" 6 years later then by all means, do so.

 

[joseephuss]

He was ranked as a 2nd rounder by most services. But hey if you want to brag and say "I told you so" 6 years later then by all means, do so.

I am not bragging.. I just did not think he was that good. I always hope I am wrong when Dallas drafts a guy I don't think will pan out. I felt the same way about Carpenter and Fasano. I would rather be proven wrong in those situations than the other way around when Dallas drafts someone I think will be good, but they end up sucking.

And back to the premise you brought up. Roy did some good in Dallas after he was drafted. Johnson did nothing. So Dallas did screw up more on one than the other no matter where either guy was rated by scouts.

 

[AmishCowboy]

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

Clark is really good, but we all know he's not half the blocker Witten is.

 

[the kid 05]

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


Wait for it........

Mr. Overrated

 

[AbeBeta]

And back to the premise you brought up. Roy did some good in Dallas after he was drafted. Johnson did nothing. So Dallas did screw up more on one than the other no matter where either guy was rated by scouts.

Roy didn't have a major knee injury in TC now did he?

And Johnson did start here for several years -- people here thought he sucked and sometimes he really did but often he was the scapegoat for a line that was total crap.

 

[big dog cowboy]

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.

Hindsight is always great isn't it?

 

[sonnyboy]

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 love this. I live in eagle territory and I can tell you this one still stings.

Selecting an All-Pro player in the 3rd round speaks to a draft concept I've always agreed with.

Certain positions like OC, OG, TE, S, and MLB were it's less about athleticism than desire and smarts, should never be selected in the 1st round.

 

[coogrfan]

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

And the worst pick of the bunch is...Bennie Joppru, Houston Texans.

In his first three seasons with the Texans Joppru failed to play even one snap in a game (exhibition or regular season) due to injury. That has to be some sort of record. Joppru subsequently spent some time in Chicago and Seattle before calling it quits.

To sum up: six NFL seasons, 19 games played (only one as a Texan), 0 starts, 0 catches.

 

[Hostile]

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.

My head exploded that day. I swear it did.

First there was the sheer hilarity of jdnalls reaction to Terence Newman over Byron Leftwich or Terrell Suggs. He was hysterical. I was the biggest Suggs homer ever and I was pissed, but nowhere near his level. Good guy, wonder what I did that pissed him off so much? Oh well.

Then when we passed on Witten in the 2nd I was ready to kill Jerry and Tuna.

I was one of the ones wanting to get back into the 1st to take him. So was Dale, a Volunteer fan, who was at Valley Ranch chatting with us. I couldn't believe he was there in the 2nd for us. I was sending Dale private messages telling him to call the draft table himself. I think I offered a scholarship to his first born child. Not sure if that is binding or not. May need to look ito that.

When he did not go in the 2nd round I was screaming at the TV for every team ahead of us to pass on him. When we took him I think I had an accident.

3rd round. To this day it boggles my mind how he fell that far.

 

[TNCowboy]

Witten said the advisory council told him he'd go in the 15-40 range, so he was quite disappointed to fall all the way to the 3rd round.

I got disgusted and quit watching the draft after Parcells passed on him in the 2nd round. I was stunned to see hours later we'd gotten him anyway.

 

[SLATEmosphere]

I REALLY wonder why he dropped so far..was it his speed? his age?? I really wish someone would explain how he fell that far.

 

[jobberone]

I think at times when a player falls then teams start wondering what the hell is going on that I don't know. Nobody wants this guy so maybe I shouldn't take him. Just a guess.

Witten was considered an upper second rounder in general. Some thought low first round.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

I REALLY wonder why he dropped so far..was it his speed? his age?? I really wish someone would explain how he fell that far.

one of the knocks was that he wasn't a traditional TE, and not fast enough to be just a pass-catching one

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I think at times when a player falls then teams start wondering what the hell is going on that I don't know. Nobody wants this guy so maybe I shouldn't take him. Just a guess.

Exactly. A guy starts falling and other teams start wondering if somebody knows something they don't.

Witten was only 20, came out early, and there was some vague rumor about him having a questionable attitude at his combine interviews. I don't think anyone ever found out the story on that, but it obviously wasn't true.

 

[Jon88]

I'm just glad we got Al Johnson too.

 

[OAM]

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

23 or 24 picks ahead too. It didn't hurt the first 3 years though.