Who Remembers The Cowboys' dead era drafting : 1978-1987

jazzcat22 said:
Not according to Gil Brandt. He himself said it was the only time he was talked out of a draft pick. He wanted to take Joe.
Tom and Tex said, no , we have Danny White, and we need a TE. So the took Cosbie.
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Weren’t we poised to take Jerry Rice and SF traded up a pick ahead of us and snatched him?
 
Too many 2nd round busts. They should not gamble on 2nd rounders. Make safe picks, high character, proven results, impervious to injuries:

Here is my 2nd round collection of forgetables in last 30 years:

2021 Kelvin Joseph CB, head case, but uber-talent
2019 Trysten Hill, DT, small school player Rob Marinelli swore by. This one hurt big time
2018 Jaylon Smith (gamble with an extra 3rd or 4th, not a 2nd)
2015 Randy Gregory -- no more known drug addicts
2006 Anthony Fasano TE dropped a sure TD in end zone in 2006 playoffs vs Giants. I have never forgiven this stiff for that,
2004 Jacob Rogers OL
2003 Al Johnson center. Very weak at point of attack
2002 Dwayne Goodrich CB
1995 Shane Hannah G, Kendal Watkins TE, wasted picks galore
 
SFloridaCowboy said:
Who Remembers The Cowboys’ dead era drafting : 1978-1987

What happened to the genius of Tex Schramm, Gil Brandt and Tom Landry after 1977? They drove the team into the mud, deep mud. The team’s talent level took a nosedive galore. here is my report and analysis:

1978 1st round: Larry Bethea DE Michigan State, big bust; 2nd round FB Todd Christiansen, whom refused to play TE and Boys unloaded him; he went on to a great TE caree; 3rd-5th rounders were all busts.

1979 1st round Robert Shaw center. Drafted as very undersized, but who bulked up, played well in1980 and blew out a knee and was done in 1981. 2nd rounder CB Aaron Mitchell, highly touted as a rookie, burned out. He nicknamed ”AM/PM,” when he hit you it was daylight, afterwards you were knocked out and it was dark. 3rd round: Joe Montana was still on the board, Cowboys knew he had magic, but felt comfortable that Roger would play a few more years, Danny White was sensational as a backup and the team picked Glen Carano in 1978 as a 2nd rounder. The Boys made an excellent pick in TE Doug Cosbie, but missed out on Hall of Famer and winner Joe Montana.

1980 1st and 2nd rounders went for trade of John Dutton. 3rd rounders LB Bill Roe and RB James Jones busts

1981 1st round Howard Richards OT, never started, a complete waste. 2nd rounder Ohio State WR Doug Donley was decent 3rd receiver for a few years, 3rd rounder G Glenn Titensor was a decent guard; 7th rounder Ron Fellows was a great catch, starting at RCB for several years;

1982 Rod Hill, CB, KR, a horrific, awful pick. Super dud. Worst 1st rounder in history. 2nd rounder Jeff Rohrer from Yale was a mediocre LB for several years. Rest of draft was a waste, including 5th rounder RT Phil Pozderac, the worst RT in Cowboys’ history.

1983 Jim Jeffcoat, DE, Arizona State, the pick who was worth it. Boys tried to trade to get Elway. They knew Danny White did not have it. But remaining of picks were a waste for Boys, except 2nd rounder LB Mike Walter was cut after one year and became a star for the 49ers.

1984 1st rounder Billy Cannon LB, Tex A & M, a great pick on paper, showed enormous talent, but had a terrible neck spine injury which wiped out his career. 5th round QB Steve Pelluer was an unpolished QB, who was given chance to replace Danny White, but failed. Victor Scott was a decent safety taken in 2nd round; 6th rounder LB Euge Lockhart started at MLB for several years and made a ton of tackles, was a fan favorite, but Jimmy Johnson believed he was too slow and got rid of him in 1989.

1985 Kevin Brooks, DE/DT Michigan So much talent, so much ability to dominate, was Big 10 defensive MVP; had dominated the University of Miami great offense; looked like perennial All-Pro to come. HUGE BUST!!!!! 2nd round LB Jesse Penn looked like a great find, then broke a leg and he was done; 3rd rounder G Crawford Kerr was a solid pick and started many years on OL; 5th rounder was a futures pick for USFL star RB Herschel Walker, a tremendous selection. Rest of draft terrible.

1986 15 draft picks, #1 was Mike Sherrard, WR, UCLA. sub 4.3 speed, but brittle as an old piece of wood. His bones shattered too often. Team had to draft Michael Irvin in 1988. Rest of draft produced nothing other than mediocre back-up TE Thornton Chandler.

1987 This was the year the Boys said they made corrections to the manner of their drafting and promised better results. 1st rounder Danny Noonan, NG/DT, Nebraska. A no-brainer to most fans and scouts, they called him a freak and heir to the legendary Randy White. He was a creature of steroids, had great size, speed ratio, but was never above average, a big disappointment. He helped seal the demise of the Brandt/Schramm/Landry. 2nd rounder Ron Francis, a CB, became a starter but could not cover well at all. 4th rounder Kelvin Martin was a big-time performer as a 3rd receiver and great punt returner for many years. 8th rounder Kevin Gogan at his RT position was a bust, but great at RG, won Super Bowl as starter, then left as a free agent and became a perennial All-Pro

1988 was the year of redemption to try to save their hides, Schramm and Brandt suddenly on their last wind went smart, Michael Irvin #1 and LB Ken Norton #2, arguably, the best #1-2 picks in Cowboys history. Aikman The Moose in 1989 also great. Rest of draft were busts except futures selection in Chad Hennings in 11th round, the Air Force pilot, who led the nation in sacks at Air Force Academy in 1987. He came to the boys in 1992. He was the DT pass rusher in the Steelers’ QB’s face that led to Larry Brown’s 2nd Super Bowl 1996 INT.
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Landry, when he started coaching here, was a failure. Then he won 2 super bowls. Then Landry began his decade of failure.
Thank goodness for Jimmy.
 
jazzcat22 said:
Many teams passed on him.
But yeah Parcells screwed us up on QB. And AR.

Bill wanted Bledsoe and Vinny.
He was on the verge of cutting Romo to keep Carter, until his positive drug test.
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From my recollection, there weren't many QB needy teams after the 49ers drafted. What Bill basically did was akin to passing on a top QB prospect that dropped to pick 19 because we have Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan towards the end of their careers. Can you see something like that happening again?
 
Flamma said:
From my recollection, there weren't many QB needy teams after the 49ers drafted. What Bill basically did was akin to passing on a top QB prospect that dropped to pick 19 because we have Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan towards the end of their careers. Can you see something like that happening again?
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Knowing this FO, probably.
 
And what was the highest pick the Cowboys ever earned during this era?

Bethea, #28

Shaw, #27

Richards, #26

Hill, #25

Jeffcoat, #23

Cannon, #25

Brooks #17

Sherrard, #18

Noonan #12

Irvin #11

In a league of 28 teams, not 32!

Not one single top 10 pick!

The Cowboys didn't just draft at the bottom of the 1st round for 10 years. They drafted at the bottom of every single round for 10 years!

Did I say 10 years? Actually, it was 20 years, from 1967 to 1986!

The only 3 times they ever got a top pick in the draft was by trading their former #1 pick twice and trading a package of 5 players the 3rd time. None of this occurred after 1977.

Twenty years of drafting at or near the bottom, and yet:

Twenty consecutive winning seasons, a record that still stands today!

12 times in the conference championship game.

Five time NFC champion, five SB appearances

Two SB championships.

Schramm and Brandt on "their last wind"? Trying to "save their hides"? That's not how the league's historic icons deserve to be treated.

How many "grace" years does a GM earn to rebuild after 20 consecutive winning seasons? At least one shot at a top five pick?

Apparently not.

However, when your GM can't get his team to a single conference championship game in 30 years?
 
SFloridaCowboy said:
Who Remembers The Cowboys’ dead era drafting : 1978-1987

What happened to the genius of Tex Schramm, Gil Brandt and Tom Landry after 1977? They drove the team into the mud, deep mud. The team’s talent level took a nosedive galore. here is my report and analysis:

1978 1st round: Larry Bethea DE Michigan State, big bust; 2nd round FB Todd Christiansen, whom refused to play TE and Boys unloaded him; he went on to a great TE caree; 3rd-5th rounders were all busts.

1979 1st round Robert Shaw center. Drafted as very undersized, but who bulked up, played well in1980 and blew out a knee and was done in 1981. 2nd rounder CB Aaron Mitchell, highly touted as a rookie, burned out. He nicknamed ”AM/PM,” when he hit you it was daylight, afterwards you were knocked out and it was dark. 3rd round: Joe Montana was still on the board, Cowboys knew he had magic, but felt comfortable that Roger would play a few more years, Danny White was sensational as a backup and the team picked Glen Carano in 1978 as a 2nd rounder. The Boys made an excellent pick in TE Doug Cosbie, but missed out on Hall of Famer and winner Joe Montana.

1980 1st and 2nd rounders went for trade of John Dutton. 3rd rounders LB Bill Roe and RB James Jones busts

1981 1st round Howard Richards OT, never started, a complete waste. 2nd rounder Ohio State WR Doug Donley was decent 3rd receiver for a few years, 3rd rounder G Glenn Titensor was a decent guard; 7th rounder Ron Fellows was a great catch, starting at RCB for several years;

1982 Rod Hill, CB, KR, a horrific, awful pick. Super dud. Worst 1st rounder in history. 2nd rounder Jeff Rohrer from Yale was a mediocre LB for several years. Rest of draft was a waste, including 5th rounder RT Phil Pozderac, the worst RT in Cowboys’ history.

1983 Jim Jeffcoat, DE, Arizona State, the pick who was worth it. Boys tried to trade to get Elway. They knew Danny White did not have it. But remaining of picks were a waste for Boys, except 2nd rounder LB Mike Walter was cut after one year and became a star for the 49ers.

1984 1st rounder Billy Cannon LB, Tex A & M, a great pick on paper, showed enormous talent, but had a terrible neck spine injury which wiped out his career. 5th round QB Steve Pelluer was an unpolished QB, who was given chance to replace Danny White, but failed. Victor Scott was a decent safety taken in 2nd round; 6th rounder LB Euge Lockhart started at MLB for several years and made a ton of tackles, was a fan favorite, but Jimmy Johnson believed he was too slow and got rid of him in 1989.

1985 Kevin Brooks, DE/DT Michigan So much talent, so much ability to dominate, was Big 10 defensive MVP; had dominated the University of Miami great offense; looked like perennial All-Pro to come. HUGE BUST!!!!! 2nd round LB Jesse Penn looked like a great find, then broke a leg and he was done; 3rd rounder G Crawford Kerr was a solid pick and started many years on OL; 5th rounder was a futures pick for USFL star RB Herschel Walker, a tremendous selection. Rest of draft terrible.

1986 15 draft picks, #1 was Mike Sherrard, WR, UCLA. sub 4.3 speed, but brittle as an old piece of wood. His bones shattered too often. Team had to draft Michael Irvin in 1988. Rest of draft produced nothing other than mediocre back-up TE Thornton Chandler.

1987 This was the year the Boys said they made corrections to the manner of their drafting and promised better results. 1st rounder Danny Noonan, NG/DT, Nebraska. A no-brainer to most fans and scouts, they called him a freak and heir to the legendary Randy White. He was a creature of steroids, had great size, speed ratio, but was never above average, a big disappointment. He helped seal the demise of the Brandt/Schramm/Landry. 2nd rounder Ron Francis, a CB, became a starter but could not cover well at all. 4th rounder Kelvin Martin was a big-time performer as a 3rd receiver and great punt returner for many years. 8th rounder Kevin Gogan at his RT position was a bust, but great at RG, won Super Bowl as starter, then left as a free agent and became a perennial All-Pro

1988 was the year of redemption to try to save their hides, Schramm and Brandt suddenly on their last wind went smart, Michael Irvin #1 and LB Ken Norton #2, arguably, the best #1-2 picks in Cowboys history. Aikman The Moose in 1989 also great. Rest of draft were busts except futures selection in Chad Hennings in 11th round, the Air Force pilot, who led the nation in sacks at Air Force Academy in 1987. He came to the boys in 1992. He was the DT pass rusher in the Steelers’ QB’s face that led to Larry Brown’s 2nd Super Bowl 1996 INT.
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Every player, coach, and gm no matter how successful they've been eventually the game passes them by.
 
SFloridaCowboy said:
Who Remembers The Cowboys’ dead era drafting : 1978-1987

What happened to the genius of Tex Schramm, Gil Brandt and Tom Landry after 1977? They drove the team into the mud, deep mud. The team’s talent level took a nosedive galore. here is my report and analysis:

1978 1st round: Larry Bethea DE Michigan State, big bust; 2nd round FB Todd Christiansen, whom refused to play TE and Boys unloaded him; he went on to a great TE caree; 3rd-5th rounders were all busts.

1979 1st round Robert Shaw center. Drafted as very undersized, but who bulked up, played well in1980 and blew out a knee and was done in 1981. 2nd rounder CB Aaron Mitchell, highly touted as a rookie, burned out. He nicknamed ”AM/PM,” when he hit you it was daylight, afterwards you were knocked out and it was dark. 3rd round: Joe Montana was still on the board, Cowboys knew he had magic, but felt comfortable that Roger would play a few more years, Danny White was sensational as a backup and the team picked Glen Carano in 1978 as a 2nd rounder. The Boys made an excellent pick in TE Doug Cosbie, but missed out on Hall of Famer and winner Joe Montana.

1980 1st and 2nd rounders went for trade of John Dutton. 3rd rounders LB Bill Roe and RB James Jones busts

1981 1st round Howard Richards OT, never started, a complete waste. 2nd rounder Ohio State WR Doug Donley was decent 3rd receiver for a few years, 3rd rounder G Glenn Titensor was a decent guard; 7th rounder Ron Fellows was a great catch, starting at RCB for several years;

1982 Rod Hill, CB, KR, a horrific, awful pick. Super dud. Worst 1st rounder in history. 2nd rounder Jeff Rohrer from Yale was a mediocre LB for several years. Rest of draft was a waste, including 5th rounder RT Phil Pozderac, the worst RT in Cowboys’ history.

1983 Jim Jeffcoat, DE, Arizona State, the pick who was worth it. Boys tried to trade to get Elway. They knew Danny White did not have it. But remaining of picks were a waste for Boys, except 2nd rounder LB Mike Walter was cut after one year and became a star for the 49ers.

1984 1st rounder Billy Cannon LB, Tex A & M, a great pick on paper, showed enormous talent, but had a terrible neck spine injury which wiped out his career. 5th round QB Steve Pelluer was an unpolished QB, who was given chance to replace Danny White, but failed. Victor Scott was a decent safety taken in 2nd round; 6th rounder LB Euge Lockhart started at MLB for several years and made a ton of tackles, was a fan favorite, but Jimmy Johnson believed he was too slow and got rid of him in 1989.

1985 Kevin Brooks, DE/DT Michigan So much talent, so much ability to dominate, was Big 10 defensive MVP; had dominated the University of Miami great offense; looked like perennial All-Pro to come. HUGE BUST!!!!! 2nd round LB Jesse Penn looked like a great find, then broke a leg and he was done; 3rd rounder G Crawford Kerr was a solid pick and started many years on OL; 5th rounder was a futures pick for USFL star RB Herschel Walker, a tremendous selection. Rest of draft terrible.

1986 15 draft picks, #1 was Mike Sherrard, WR, UCLA. sub 4.3 speed, but brittle as an old piece of wood. His bones shattered too often. Team had to draft Michael Irvin in 1988. Rest of draft produced nothing other than mediocre back-up TE Thornton Chandler.

1987 This was the year the Boys said they made corrections to the manner of their drafting and promised better results. 1st rounder Danny Noonan, NG/DT, Nebraska. A no-brainer to most fans and scouts, they called him a freak and heir to the legendary Randy White. He was a creature of steroids, had great size, speed ratio, but was never above average, a big disappointment. He helped seal the demise of the Brandt/Schramm/Landry. 2nd rounder Ron Francis, a CB, became a starter but could not cover well at all. 4th rounder Kelvin Martin was a big-time performer as a 3rd receiver and great punt returner for many years. 8th rounder Kevin Gogan at his RT position was a bust, but great at RG, won Super Bowl as starter, then left as a free agent and became a perennial All-Pro

1988 was the year of redemption to try to save their hides, Schramm and Brandt suddenly on their last wind went smart, Michael Irvin #1 and LB Ken Norton #2, arguably, the best #1-2 picks in Cowboys history. Aikman The Moose in 1989 also great. Rest of draft were busts except futures selection in Chad Hennings in 11th round, the Air Force pilot, who led the nation in sacks at Air Force Academy in 1987. He came to the boys in 1992. He was the DT pass rusher in the Steelers’ QB’s face that led to Larry Brown’s 2nd Super Bowl 1996 INT.
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this was a great read. Thank you.
 
Computers. Cowboys had a computer 2nd to none in evaluating incoming draftees. By 1978 other teams had caught up w/ them, and the tides turned. Picking at the bottom of each round didn't help.
 
plymkr said:
I remember the Dave Campo drafts. Man they were brutal. One year we didn’t have a first round pick cuz of Galloway and we drafted all CBs and one offensive lineman. Parcells took over and drafted Ware and Swagu, Witten and signed Romo as an UDFA. That started the shift back to a getting more talented.

When Dwayne Goodrich is your top draft pick, yeah you’re in trouble. And that has nothing to do with his off the field stuff. The next year we drafted Quincy and Tony Dixon, ouch. Antonio Bryant was a solid draftee, nothing world beating but at least he was an average starter. Man those were some brutal drafts.
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Yeah, when Jerry was running the drafts. And it was 2 consecutive years we didnt have a 1st.
 
Corrections: 1974, 1977 the Boys had the 1st pick 1st round, Too Tall Jones, 1975, the 2nd pick 1st round Randy White, and 1977, 2nd pick of 1st round Tony Dorsett
 
I remember those years. They went from being one of the better drafting teams to one of the worst and by 1988 the results of all that bad drafting were apparent on the field.

The Rod Hill pick turned out to be a disaster, but he was highly touted as one of the most athletic CBs in that draft. The NFL has come a long way in terms of draft preparation. I wonder how Rod Hill would fare today going through the draft process.
 
cowboyec said:
they were having better success with finding quality undrafted f/a's...
cb everson walls
s michael downs
s bill bates
db dexter clinkscale
lb anthony dickerson
dl/ol mark tuinei...originally started on dline...then switched to oline because of injuries.
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Seems like lots of teams are though I mean even the new generation Cowboys found Tony Romo, Ward, Hoffman, and others...
 
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