Who was around in 1990

[JohnnyHopkins]

Jimmy did not draft Irvin. Landry did in 1988. He did play for Jimmy in college though.

And, since I was a Gator fan, I was not very happy that they drafted Irvin at the time (I did come around though!)

 

[Fredd]

to the OP, I almost soiled myself when they drafted Smith I was so happy...of course, that was in an era where the RB was an integral part of an offense...I wouldn't be so happy today if a RB was drafted in the first after a trade-up

 

[JackWagon]

frankly ...

Aikman
Emmitt
Irvin

they owe their hall of fame status to these guys:
Tuinei
Allen
Stepnowski
Newton
Williams
Gogan

frankly that line and how they played was something i dont think we will ever see again. Due to free agency and the salary cap.

 

[KJJ]

With the draft over and a thousand different opinions on the DLaw trade. Just wondering how many folks were around in 1990.

I ask because of the Emmitt Smith trade. A team just coming off a 1 win season, a thousand more holes than this current team and yet they give up a "walk in starter" 3rd round pick for what some believed was a slow average RB.

Did the Dallas media and fans threaten to burn the city down? or was there not much coverage because of lack on internet.

You have to remember the Cowboys had a lot of draft picks to play with the next few years from the Walker trade in 89. After trading Walker the Cowboys needed an RB and Emmitt was the 2nd rated back in the draft behind Blair Thomas. Emmitt was expected to go much higher than he did and when the Cowboys saw him falling they traded up for him. I liked the move at the time and it certainly paid off.

 

[Primetime42]

I was extremly happy. You must not remember what Emmitt did ** Florida and WHY Jimmy Johnson wanted him.

Jimmy didn't want him THAT badly.

 

[CooterBrown]

I don't know if Jimmy lacked confidence in Aikman or if Jimmy just liked churning the roster and having options. I wonder if he just wanted Walsh around to give Aikman competition?

Walsh was Jimmy's QB at Miami. He knew what Walsh could do. He wasn't sure about Aikman yet. But, I think Aikman's competitiveness was prodded and it made him a better QB.

 

[KJJ]

Jimmy didn't want him THAT badly.

Like most everyone else Jimmy had Blair Thomas rated ahead of Emmitt.

 

[yimyammer]

I pulled the articles for the day after he was drafted from the Dallas Morning News, I'll post full articles since they can't be linked online (I accessed them through the Dallas Public Library)

Among needs, Cowboys pick offense - Unable to get LB, they take Fla. star
The Dallas Morning News - Monday, April 23, 1990
Readability: 8-9 grade level (Lexile: 1090L)
Author: Tim Cowlishaw, Staff Writer of The Dallas Morning News:

IRVING -- Since the middle of a season he's trying to forget, Jimmy Johnson has talked of using high draft picks to reshape the Cowboys' defense. But maybe those three shutouts he endured in his rookie NFL coaching season struck a nerve, too.

Johnson, working his second NFL draft, traded with Pittsburgh to move up four spots in the first round and grab Florida running back Emmitt Smith . Then, Johnson opened the second round by taking the first wide receiver, Auburn speedster Alexander Wright.

And despite exchanging 13 picks to acquire five in four separate deals, there actually were some trades the Cowboys didn't make Sunday. Big trades, too. Johnson tried to move up to get defense before making the trade that produced the Smith pick, then tried to work a deal with Cleveland to move down in the second round before taking Wright.

The Cowboys, in fact, didn't address their defensive needs until completing a six-pick trade. They used New England's third-round choice to select another of Johnson's former University of Miami players, defensive tackle Jimmie Jones. Later, the Cowboys sent five picks to the Los Angeles Raiders to get fifth-round pick Stan Smagala, a cornerback from Notre Dame.

But in drafting Smith and Wright, Johnson hopes to have put seriously upgraded weapons at Troy Aikman's disposal.

"I feel like both players have the ability to start (as rookies),' Johnson said. "They'll have to learn the offense and our system, but I'd be surprised if both weren't in the lineup this season. Obviously, we wanted some defensive help today, but the players weren't warranted with the picks we had.'

Which is not to say Johnson didn't pursue defensive help early in the first round. When the Cowboys saw two highly rated linebackers, Baylor's James Francis and Houston's Lamar Lathon, slide past the top eight picks, the phone calls began.

"We made an attempt to get James Francis and Lamar Lathon because we felt both could have helped our pass rush,' Johnson said. "We also felt Ray Agnew was a quality linemen, and we were interested in him.'

It was believed the Cowboys might be able to trade with New England for the 10th pick, but one Patriots offical said they received no "significant offers' before taking North Carolina State's Agnew with that selection.

"The teams we talked to were asking too much to trade up only a certain number of picks,' Johnson said. "If Francis had lasted one more pick, probably we would have had a deal with Kansas City.'

The Chiefs had the 13th pick and wanted Michigan State linebacker Percy Snow. A Chiefs' source said they believed Snow would be available at No. 21, the Cowboys' pick. But the arranged trade depended on Cincinnati, drafting 12th, cooperating.

Instead, the Bengals went for Francis, and the Cowboys went for offense.

The Cowboys weren't willing to make the same offer to Kansas City to get Lathon, so he ended up staying home, going to the Oilers at No. 15.

With those linebackers gone, Johnson said he didn't want to reach for defensive help.

"We could not risk at that point,' said Johnson, whose first Cowboys team went 1-15. "At this stage, if we had a first-round bust, it could have been disastrous. We didn't want to take a chance with either our first pick or the 26th pick.'

That didn't prevent him from making his 15th trade since draft day 1989. At the same time Francis and Lathon were sliding, teams were ignoring running backs.

The Cowboys said they had Smith rated No. 4 on their board and finally were able to trade up four spots to select him. They gave the Steelers the 21st selection and the last pick of the third round it had acquired Thursday from San Francisco in the Terrence Flagler-Danny Stubbs deal.

"We felt like Emmitt Smith was a quality player,' Johnson said. "When we saw him available, we started trying to trade up. There were concerns about Emmitt 's speed, but the times we had on him were under 4.5 (seconds over 40 yards). That was the key that probably put him ahead of other backs.'

Smith , a first-team All-America, was third in the nation with 145.4 yards rushing per game. Only 20, he was the seventh junior selected among the top 17 players.

"I don't have any regrets at all about coming out,' he said. "It's a chance I took, and I'm going to have to live with it. I'm looking forward to playing for Coach Johnson. I have high goals. I want to be the running back that Dallas wants me to be.'

During ESPN's draft telecast, announcers speculated that Smith 's choice of Richard Howell as his agent caused his stock to slide. One of Howell's clients, Cleveland wide receiver Lawyer Tillman, staged a long holdout last season.

"I heard the way they made it seem on ESPN,' Smith said. "I won't be holding out until October.'

The Cowboys began to solve their running back needs Thursday, acquiring Flagler from San Francisco. Now, Smith enters the picture, and Cowboys scouts and coaches give him the early edge over ex-49er.

"I think Flagler's good,' scout Walt Yowarsky said. "I think Emmitt Smith is great.'

Said running backs coach Joe Brodsky: " Emmitt Smith will take your breath away. Terrence Flagler will take your breath away, but you'll get it back.'

While Smith and Flagler are expected to battle for a starting job this summer in Austin, Wright should make an instant impact on the receivers.

The Cowboys said they timed him at 4.28 seconds over 40 yards, much faster than any of their other receivers. At the Indianapolis scouting combine, Wright's fastest 40 time was 4.40; only one of the other 49 senior receivers, Florida's Stacey Simmons, ran faster (4.33).

Wright also had an impressive 35 1/2-inch vertical jump at the combine.

Before taking him, the Cowboys offered their second-round pick to Cleveland for the Browns' second, third and fourth choices. The Browns wouldn't meet that price, so Johnson took the receiver.

"He has the speed to stretch a defense, and we felt we needed that speed,' Johnson said. "You've got to be able to score points to win.'

Maybe those games against New Orleans, Philadelphia and the New York Giants -- in which the Cowboys didn't -- danced through Johnson's mind Sunday. The additions of Smith , Wright and, three days earlier, Flagler, should help his team avoid such misery this fall.

 

[yimyammer]

"I didn't think I'd be picked in the first round at all' - Smith modest, but Cowboys say his skills aren't
The Dallas Morning News - Monday, April 23, 1990
Readability: 6-8 grade level (Lexile: 1000L)
Author: Kevin Sherrington, Staff Writer of The Dallas Morning News:

IRVING -- Blair Thomas was the second player taken in the draft, but Dick Mansperger said he wasn't even the Cowboys' favorite running back.

EmmittSmith had no idea he was so well-liked.

"I didn't think I'd be picked in the first round at all,' he said.

The modesty is typical of Smith , whose team-first attitude belies his first-team All-America status last season at Florida. He said he based his reasoning on the strong defensive flavor of the draft and the fact that no team contacted him last week.

But the Cowboys, ignoring professed needs on defense, were fans. They traded up from their 21st spot in the first round to 17th, giving up a third-round choice to Pittsburgh in the process.

At first, they couldn't believe Smith still was available. Then they decided they couldn't take the chance he still would be around at 21, a fear that appears well-founded considering Green Bay took Minnesota's Darrell Thompson with the 19th pick and Atlanta took Washington State's Steve Broussard with the 20th.

Smith , a junior at Florida last season, was considered in most NFL circles second only to Thomas among running back prospects. Mansperger, the Cowboys' director of scouting, said they rated Smith higher because of Thomas' past knee problems.

The knee didn't bother the New York Jets, who made Thomas the second pick.

The wait was considerably longer for Smith .

"My mom finally told me someone was on the phone,' Smith said at a news conference at Valley Ranch on Sunday. "I asked her who it was, and I was glad when I found out.'

He made no promises as to what he'll do for the Cowboys, taking a far more conservative approach than the outfit he wore for his first meeting with Cowboys officials. His costume: a maroon and gold ensemble of shorts and vest in gold polka dots, gold shirt, black loafers, white Cowboys cap and gold earring.

He wouldn't comment on one comment that he was the best running back to come out of college since Herschel Walker. Phil Maggio, the Gators' offensive line coach, called Smith a team player who often praised the play of his offensive line. The thanks might have been undeserved, Joe Brodsky said.

"He really got tattooed there last year,' said Brodsky, the Cowboys' running back coach. "They (the Gators) ran out of a lot of people in the offensive line, and they had a young quarterback, so Emmitt got stuck with a lot of things.'

He wasn't stuck often. He ran for 1,616 yards and 14 touchdowns last season. He also caught 23 passes for 219 more.

He was one of the most productive backs in the nation over the past three seasons, running for 4,232 yards. He rushed for more than 100 yards in 24 of his 30 career starts. His 1,469 yards in 1987 was the third-best total for a freshman in NCAA history. Nos. 1 and 2 were Tony Dorsett and Herschel Walker.

Such company does much for his goals but little to his ego.

"I have high goals to achieve more than the people before me,' he said, adding that his idol is former Bears star Walter Payton.

Johnson appears ready to give him an early start at Payton's NFL career rushing record.

" Emmitt brings star quality to us,' Johnson said.

The Cowboys like Smith 's vision, balance and durability at 5-9, 199 pounds. In his career at Florida, his only health problem was a knee sprain in 1988 that caused him to miss two games. He still rushed for 1,147 yards that season.

The only question many scouts had about Smith was his speed. Because he was a junior, he was not invited to the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. He had been typecast as a running back with, at best, 4.6-second speed in the 40-yard dash and little breakaway ability. But Brodsky, who personally worked out Smith , disagreed. He said he timed Smithbetween 4.45 and 4.48 on an indoor, tartan track -- a surface that produces the best possible times.

"To me, that's not bad,' Smith said.

No, it's not, the Cowboys say.

He rushed for 8,804 yards at Escambia (Fla.) High School, where he was considered by many the top recruit in the nation. He remembers receiving a few letters from Johnson, then the coach at Miami.

But no personal visit?

"We knew he was going to the University of Florida,' Johnson said, smiling, "so we decided to go after Steve Walsh.'

Johnson finally has both players. And he'll have to pay for it this time. Smith 's agent is Atlanta-based Richard Howell, who last year represented Auburn's Lawyer Tillman, a holdout.

Smith said he didn't think he would follow suit, however. As he said so, Johnson jumped to the microphone.

" Emmitt , is that a promise?' he asked.

Smith , again, made no promises.

"But I've got a little say-so,' he said.

He also has some clout. He was given Bob Hayes' old number, 22. The number had belonged to former Houston Oiler and Texas A&M wide receiver Rod Harris, who was signed as a Plan B free agent.

"It's the number I wore in college,' Smith said, "and it's the number I wear now.' SMITH 'S COLLEGE STATISTICS Rushing Year No. Yds Avg. TD 1987 246 1,469 6.0 13 1988 205 1,147 5.6 11 1989 291 1,616 5.6 14 Totals 742 4,232 5.7 38 Receiving Year No. Yds Avg. TD 1987 29 203 7.0 0 1988 12 88 7.3 0 1989 23 219 9.5 1 Totals 64 510 8.0 1 FRESHMAN PHENOMS The top three freshman rushers in NCAA Division I history have all been property of the Cowboys at one time: Tony Dorsett Pittsburgh 1,686 Herschel Walker Georgia 1,616EmmittSmith Florida 1,469

 

[KJJ]

I don't know if Jimmy lacked confidence in Aikman or if Jimmy just liked churning the roster and having options. I wonder if he just wanted Walsh around to give Aikman competition?

Jimmy said he drafted Walsh because he was a winner and wanted to make sure he hit on a QB. Jimmy knew he could trade one of the QB's.

 

[yimyammer]

Francis almost falls into Johnson's lap
The Dallas Morning News - Monday, April 23, 1990
Readability: 6-7 grade level (Lexile: 970L)
Author: Randy Galloway:

IRVING -- This appeared to be a Jimmy Johnson sure thing. Baylor's James Francis was being ignored early in the first round of Sunday's NFL draft, meaning he was actually sliding right into Johnson's eager hands.

What a set-up. A coach with the bold trigger finger, a coach never timid about cutting a deal. And here's Francis, with the kind of defensive skills worth paying a little something extra.

Five picks into the first round, and Francis is still available. Then six, and seven, and even 10 teams pass him over. Perfect for the Cowboys. The more Francis dropped, the cheaper the price to move up in the first round.

Johnson, it was assumed, would never let this guy get away. Junior Seau, the USC linebacker, and Cortez Kennedy, the Miami defensive tackle, were the only players the Cowboys had rated ahead of Francis. No way he was supposed to still be available, not 11 picks deep into the first round.

Then came Cincinnati, with the 12th choice. End of intrigue.

James Francis will play outside linebacker for the Bengals instead of being that pass-rushing defensive end the Cowboys envisioned him as.

As expected, Johnson had his finger wrapped around the trigger. But the shocker is he never squeezed off a shot. That close to James Francis, but no cigar.

The Cowboys had already cut a deal with Kansas City, picking 13th, and that's where they would have taken Francis. But they were one spot too late.

Johnson admitted later he had tried to work deals with New England, in the 10th hole, with the Raiders, who picked 11th, and then with Cincinnati, but was shut out. "It was a case of those teams asking too much for us to trade up,' he said.

Instead, the Cowboys settled for Florida running back Emmitt Smith . Yes, they traded up four spots to obtain Smith in an obvious move to grab the best player still available on the Dallas board.

Then the Cowboys led off the second round by selecting the Auburn jet, Alexander Wright, who is said to cover 40 yards at sub-4.3 speed.

Johnson had an urgent need for fast feet at wide-out. Wright fits in nicely from a necessity standpoint.

The same can't be said for Smith , but this guy is also regarded by many as a franchise-type NFL running back. Emmitt Smith has too much talent to be called a questionable choice, even for a team that hoped to land quality defensive help with at least one of those first two picks.

But as promised by Johnson, he didn't force the defensive issue. If the right people weren't available in the first round, the Cowboys would go elsewhere -- that was Johnson's pre-draft pledge.

Francis was Mr. Right. But it didn't happen. Johnson also tried to move up to grab University of Houston linebacker Lamar Lathon, who also would have been converted to defensive end. But the Oilers took him with the 15th pick. Ray Agnew, the defensive end from North Carolina State, went earlier than expected (to the Patriots with the 10th choice) or the Cowboys would have been after him.

But even when finally making the first round move-up jump from 21 to 17 (after a trade with Pittsburgh), Johnson had no first-round interest in a defensive player. Emmitt Smith was simply regarded as too good to ignore.

"Obviously, we wanted defensive help,' Johnson said, "but we didn't feel the players still available warranted the picks we had. We didn't want to take a risk with the 21st and 26th. In our situation, a first-round bust could have been disastrous.'

But any criticism of Johnson should not center around the Smith choice. Or should it involve him ignoring defensive needs with the top two picks -- Johnson is correct in saying what was available after Lamar Lathon was not worth the gamble.

Most questionable, however, was the failure to do what had to be done to wrap up Francis. Even if it meant giving up No. 21 and No. 26. Think of it this way -- would the Cowboys be better off in the long run with Francis instead of Emmitt Smith and Alexander Wright?

Johnson obviously took the gamble that two bodies will be better than one. But when the one is James Francis, why not?

 

[yimyammer]

Johnson & Crowd show flair for draft
The Dallas Morning News - Monday, April 23, 1990
Readability: 9-12 grade level (Lexile: 1130L)
Author: Blackie Sherrod:

IRVING -- About this time of spring, you can easily recognize the grizzled draftwatchers. We're the ones wearing gas masks and ear muffs, the better to protect our delicate sensitivities from verbal pollution in the air.

We're also the ones who don't bat an eyelash at the magnificent overkill on the Donald Trump split, or the Brent Musburger lynching. That's chicken feed. Every April, we are subjected to hoopla that shames those bloats.

The NFL draft now is such mawkish theatrics, it could pass for a Grade B flick. You picture shifty-eyed merchants chattering up the flesh market, scheming under their turbans, masking intents with sly intrigue of a desert fox. Rudolph Valentino should play the lead, or perhaps Bob Hope and Bing Crosby.

The beef auction is now bigger than life. At the New York site, it draws a live audience reacting like bloodthirsty Romans at the Colisseum. In bars around the land, electronic coverage is piped in, and eager topplers follow its progress with far more intent than they charted the landings on Omaha Beach.

On television, the draft reduces the Oscar production to community theater. For six hours, goldythroats spout hyperbole with the gall of sideshow barkers.

Example: When time came for Detroit to name the No. 7 collegian, Joe Theismann proclaimed that if the Lions did not choose Andre Ware, the Houston quarterback, "it will be the worst selection in the history of professional football!' It left even jaded draftwatchers hoping someone thought to call out the Michigan National Guard to cope with this crisis.

Like good soldiers, or good actors, the NFL cast goes along with the circus. The former Cowboy regime, usually a conservative operation, doted on draft mystique. Gil Brandt, through his feed to Tom Landry, loved the "cute' draft, one that had other scouts wondering what secrets the Dallas richboys knew.

This new bunch has shown a flair for greasepaint. Look no further than their recent running back activity. Obviously, tailback was a Cowboy concern, one of many. But when Jimmy Johnson traded for Terrence Flagler, he claimed he had lusted after the 49er for months. The coach, plus owner Jerry Jones, seemed relieved that the tailback vacancy had been filled and now they had room to breathe. They could enter Sunday's draft with more freedom, with no sense of urgency for a particular emergency.

And yet, when it nears Cowboy turn in Sunday's sale, here is Johnson trading spare drafts to jump ahead four picks, so as to choose another runner -- Emmitt Smith of Florida.

With as many poverty pockets as the Cowboys seem to have, at tight end, wide receiver and any defensive spot, they take another halfback? Granted, their defensive preferences were already chosen -- Cortez Kennedy, Ray Agnew, James Francis, Lamar Lanthon -- but there were others available.

This is a guy buying an extra vest when his shoes have holes the size of a fried egg.

All things considered, that was about as "cute' draft as the old Cowboy braintrust ever pulled. Not quite, but almost.

Also, like Gil Brandt before them, the new Cowboys gushed with explanations. It was almost as if the Flagler adjectives, still echoing from Thursday's announcing, were part of a sly smokescreen. Good thing we were wearing gas masks.

Believe me, hon, before I would believe a pro football man within three weeks of the draft, I'd rather play poker against a guy named Ace.

Johnson was asked to compare Flagler and Smith , the coach did a hem and a haw. But Walt Yowarski, the scout closest to the subject, spoke out.

"I think Flagler is a good football player,' said Walt. "I think Smith is a great football player.'

Joe Brodsky, the runners' coach, was more dramatic. " Emmitt will take your breath away, and you may not get it back until he scores. Flagler will take your breath away, but you'll get it back.'

Hot dang, you don't find lyrics like that in anything but high drama. Which is what the NFL draft has become, if you ain't particular and if you don't forget your gas mask.

 

[yimyammer]

COWBOYS' TRADES
The Dallas Morning News - Monday, April 23, 1990
Readability: 5-6 grade level (Lexile: 900L)

Since Jimmy Johnson became coach in February 1989, the Cowboys have made 18 trades, exchanging seven players and 24 draft picks for seven players and 26 draft picks. The rundown:

* April 23, 1989: A second-round pick in '89 (Steve Wisniewski) and a sixth-round pick in '89 (Jeff Francis) to LA Raiders for a second-round pick in '89 (Daryl Johnston), a third-round pick in '89 (Rhondy Weston) and a fifth-round pick in '89 (Willis Crockett).

* June 2, 1989: Steve DeOssie to the NY Giants for a sixth-round pick in '90.

* July 10, 1989: Kevin Brooks and a fourth-round pick in 1990 to Denver for a third-round pick in '90.

* July 24, 1989: Daryle Smith to Seattle for a ninth-round pick in '90.

* Aug. 6, 1989: Scott Secules to Miami for a fifth-round pick in '90.

* Aug. 22, 1989: Zefross Moss to Indianapolis for a 10th-round pick in '90.

* Aug. 22, 1989: A conditional pick to Indianapolis for Chuck Ehin (Ehin released, Cowboys retain pick).

* Aug. 29, 1989: A fifth-round pick in '90 to Washington for Dean Hamel.

* Oct. 12, 1989: Herschel Walker to Minnesota for Jesse Solomon, David Howard, Alex Stewart, Darrin Nelson, Issiac Holt, a first-round pick in '92, conditional first-round picks in '90 and '91, conditional second-round picks in '90, '91, '92 and a conditional third-round pick in '92. Stewart was released, so Cowboys retain second-round pick in '90.

* Oct. 17, 1989: Darrin Nelson to San Diego for a fifth-round pick that went to Minnesota. Cowboys retain second-round pick in '91 as part of trade on Oct. 12.

* Oct. 17, 1989: Eighth-round pick in '90 to Detroit for Paul Palmer.

* Oct 17, 1989: Steve Pelluer to Kansas City for a third-round pick in '90 and a conditional fourth-round pick in '91.

* Feb. 1: A third- and 10th-round pick in '90 and a third-round pick in '91 to Minnesota, allowing Cowboys to retain Issiac Holt, David Howard, Jessee Solomon and conditional picks tied to them as part of trade on Oct. 12, 1989.

* April 19: Second-round pick obtained from Minnesota and third-round pick obtained from Kansas City for Terrence Flagler, Daniel Stubbs and an 11th-round pick in '90.

* April 22: Sent the 21st pick of the first round and the last pick of the third round (acquired from San Francisco) to Pittsburgh for the 17th pick of the draft. The Cowboys selected Florida running back Emmitt Smith .

* April 22: Sent a third-round pick (from Denver), a fifth-round pick (from Miami) and its seventh-round pick to New England for the Patriots' third, sixth and eighth selections. The Cowboys used that third-round pick to take Jimmie Jones, defensive tackle from Miami.

* April 22: Traded five picks for the Raiders' 13th pick in the fifth round and used it to select Notre Dame cornerback Stan Smagala. The Cowboys sent the Raiders a sixth-round pick (from Minnesota), an eighth (from New England), a ninth (from Seattle), a 10th (from Indianapolis) and an 11th (from San Francisco).

* April 22: Traded three sixth-round picks -- theirs, New England's and the New York Giants' -- for the San Diego Chargers' third-round pick in 1991. PICKS REMAINING The picks the Cowboys have entering the second day of the NFL draft: Round Pick From 9 First Own 11 First Own

 

[yimyammer]

Cowboys fill up by being picky
The Dallas Morning News - Tuesday, April 24, 1990
Author: Tim Cowlishaw, Staff Writer of The Dallas Morning News:

The Cowboys entered the draft Sunday with 14 picks and exited Monday with six players. If that doesn't quite sound like a bargain, it was Jimmy Johnson's plan all along.

His logic was fairly simple. The Cowboys already had 73 players under contract, and no NFL team can have more than 80.

"We did not want to make late-round picks just to cut them before we go to Austin' for training camp, he said. "We pretty well made it clear before the draft we were going to do that.'

In a typical move, the Cowboys packaged picks in the sixth, eighth, ninth, 10th and 11th rounds and traded them for Notre Dame cornerback Stan Smagala, the Raiders' fifth-round selection.

"We feel like he's been a productive player for them, and he's got speed,' Johnson said.

While the Cowboys won't have enough draft choices from this year to get up a decent basketball game, their stockpile for the 1991 draft has grown even larger. By trading three sixth-round picks to San Diego, they acquired the Chargers' third-round pick next year.

For 1991, the Cowboys already had Minnesota's first- and second-round picks from the Herschel Walker trade and a pick from Kansas City in the Steve Pelluer trade that will be a second, third or fourth.

"This year's draft won't be ranked high because we did not get a large number of players,' Johnson said. "But when you look at it, I think you have to also include Terrence Flagler and Danny Stubbs,' who were acquired from San Francisco for draft picks, "along with San Diego's third next year to see just what we got.'

And just what did the Cowboys get? For one thing, they added a starting running back, since it's a given that first-round pick Emmitt Smith or Flagler will be the tailback. Whoever doesn't start is expected to contribute heavily. Johnson says he grabbed another starter in the second round by selecting wide receiver Alexander Wright.

And once fans forget about the coincidence of drafting a Miami player named Jimmie Jones, Johnson says people will see that the Cowboys added a quality player in the third round and possibly another rookie starter.

Here's a look at the pros and cons of the Cowboys' six 1990 draft picks:

Emmitt Smith , RB, Florida, first round -- The cons are outnumbered here. Although some questioned why the Cowboys would take a running back No. 1 only three days after trading for Flagler, the answer is simple. A 1-15 team needs any help it can find, and Smith gives the Cowboys depth at a position at which it was awful following the Walker trade. Paul Palmer led them with 446 yards rushing last season.

Smith , Johnson said, "is so smooth with tremendous balance. He's also a top-notch receiver coming out of the backfield. This guy is top-notch. I think he'll make a big impact this year.'

Said one NFL offensive coach: "They'll find Emmitt doesn't have as pure a speed as they'd like and he's a little guy, so when he gets hurt, he's in trouble. But he's definitely a player, a good pick.'

Smith will more closely resemble Dorsett than Walker in a Cowboys' uniform, but even if he never reaches either's class, he should make fans forget about Palmer and 1989 in about five minutes.

Alex Wright, WR, Auburn, second round -- Said Tampa Bay director of player personnel Jerry Angelo, "He's Anthony Miller.'

The Cowboys can only hope Angelo is right. Miller, a first-round pick from Tennessee in 1988, caught 75 passes for 1,252 yards and 10 touchdowns for San Diego last season. The Cowboys would settle for that kind of production from Wright in two years.

He recently ran a 4.27-second 40-yard dash on grass for New York Giants scouts. Four years ago, a wide receiver named Mike Sherrard ran a sub-4.3 40 on grass at the Raiders' camp, which encouraged the Cowboys to go after him. And the Cowboys are due for some better luck with this guy.

"I know Troy (Aikman) is excited about the players we got,' Johnson said. "He said yesterday that he's going to have to work on his arm strength to get the ball downfield to Wright. But I think he probably has the arm strength.'

Wright has the speed, but does he have the hands? "He can catch,' said an NFL offensive coach. "How can you not go after the Wright guy? That was a perfect pick for them. Kelvin Martin is not the answer. I think they ought to be smiling.'

Jimmie Jones, DT, Miami, third round -- Figure it this way. Johnson is leaving Danny Noonan at end, basically as a backup to Jim Jeffcoat, Stubbs and Tony Tolbert. Part of the reason is because Johnson thinks Jones will play as a rookie.

"He was the fifth tackle we had on our board,' Johnson said. "We had Cortez Kennedy, Ray Agnew, (Marc) Spindler, Dennis Brown and Jimmie Jones. We know what he can do. He's got the talent to play for us. He's just got to do it every down.'

Injuries and a need to work to support a wife and daughter disrupted Jones' college career. He will compete with Dean Hamel, Willie Broughton, Mark Walen and Anthony Spears for a tackle position.

For what it's worth, Jones made draft analyst Joel Buchsbaum's "underachievers' list.

Stan Smagala, CB, Notre Dame, fifth round -- He's the Cowboys' version of baseball's Von Hayes since they gave up five players (actually draft picks) to get him. Smagala ran a 4.49 40 at the Indianapolis scouting combine, fourth among the 23 cornerbacks tested.

"He was the one we had on our board who had the dimension (speed) we were looking for,' Johnson said.

The downside?

"He wasn't as aggressive in run support as we would have liked,' Johnson said. "He's mainly a cover guy.'

Smagala's competition is Issiac Holt, Ron Francis and Robert Williams. Look for this fifth-round pick to stick.

Kenneth Gant, CB, Albany State, ninth round -- He had five interceptions each of the last two seasons but has to be considered a long shot, barring injury to other corners. But Johnson has hope.

"Dick Nolan worked him out and thought he had a chance to make our club,' Johnson said.

Dave Harper, LB, Humboldt State, 11th round -- The Cowboys get more speed at linebacker with this 6-1, 220-pounder. "We think he can help us as a special teams player,' Johnson said.

But a logjam at linebacker gives Harper little hope of lasting through training camp.

 

[yimyammer]

RUSHING IN A NEW COWBOYS ERA - Top pick Smith draws comparison to Dorsett
The Dallas Morning News - Friday, April 27, 1990
Readability: 6-7 grade level (Lexile: 980L)
Author: Tim Cowlishaw, Staff Writer of The Dallas Morning News:

IRVING -- It was 1987, near the end of Tony Dorsett's final season as a Cowboy, and the camera crew outside his locker said they had an unusual question to ask.

A freshman at Florida named Emmitt Smith had just gone over the 1,000-yard rushing mark in his seventh game to set an NCAA record. One of Dorsett's records just had been erased, and the camera crew wanted a comment.

Dorsett, who never had heard of Smith , said a few perfunctory words of congratulations, then advised Smith not to get too cocky. "Remember, Emmitt ,' he said, staring into the camera, "someday someone's going to come along and break your records, too.'

Three years later, Smith 's record still stands. And when the Cowboys open their rookie orientation camp with meetings and testing Friday, Emmitt Smith 's life as a Cowboy begins. To some, that means his assault on Dorsett's team rushing records is about to get under way.

Smith makes no such claims, however.

"I'm not going to say I can come in and do wonders for the Cowboys,' Smith said. "I will tell you that I'll do the best I can do.'

The Cowboys expect his best to be plenty.

Shortly after Dallas had traded up to draft Smith , running backs coach Joe Brodsky was ecstatic. " Emmitt Smith has that little innate ingredient that you've got to be extremely careful of or he may not get tackled. I don't see a weak point in that athlete, and we've studied him a long, hard time,' he said.

Scout Walt Yowarsky was equally glowing, referring to Smith as the "Dorsett of a new era.'

The comparison actually may be valid.

At 5-9 and 199 pounds, Smith is slightly shorter than Dorsett but similar in build. Dorsett was quicker and had cuts few backs matched. Smith is more of a straight-ahead runner, but he squats 850 pounds and has the edge on Dorsett in power.

At Pitt, Dorsett averaged 1,518 yards and 14.5 touchdowns in his four seasons. At Florida, Smith averaged 1,309 yards and 12 touchdowns in his three years. Missing two games as a sophomore lowered his totals.

Smith recalls watching a Cowboys game on television 10 or 12 years ago when a young Dorsett caught his eye. "I remember saying that I want go to play right there,' Smith said.

Although he'll have to prove himself before gaining any kind of legendary status in this city, his legacy in the state of Florida is secure. The day after being drafted by the Cowboys, Smithflew back to his Pensacola home to attend " Emmitt Smith Day' ceremonies.

"The city let me read the proclamation, all the whereas and furthermores,' Escambia High Schoool coach Dwight Thomas said. "It was an honor for me. We proclaimed that April 23 every year will be Emmitt Smith Day.

"A lot of people are known as President or Premier or Coach. He's Emmitt . Just Emmitt . You see 'Run, Emmitt , Run' T-shirts here. He's been a star since ninth grade.'

The 8,804 yards Smith gained in four years at Escambia ranks as the third-highest high school total ever. He ranks No. 1 over the past 35 years, beating Texas schoolboy legends such as Billy Sims of Hooks and the late David Overstreet of Big Sandy by more than 1,000 yards.

"He would have had a lot more yards if he played for a coach who ran up the score,' Thomas said.

Smith , undoubtedly, would have had more yards in college had Florida not been hit hard by NCAA sanctions that reduced scholarships. "You've got to remember that the university he played at had some problems late in his career, and they were not able to bring in enough talent on the offensive front,' Brodsky said. "In his last year, he was playing with a small deficiency up front, and he didn't back down.'

As a junior last fall, Smith gained a school-record 1,599 yards to rank third in the nation while playing in a one-dimensional offense. Smith was the dimension.

"He really is an interesting back,' Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson said. "You watch him play and it does not look like he's running that fast. You watch him make a 10-yard run and you think there was a nice hole there. Then you study the film and you see that he glanced off three tackles along the way. As a 17-year-old (18, actually), he was ninth in the Heisman Trophy balloting. This guy is big-time.'

"He's a great player, a tough guy,' quarterback Troy Aikman said. "I played against him in the Aloha Bowl. That was his freshman year when he came in and set it on fire.'

Smith 's been hot since, although there are a few who wonder whether he has the speed to excel in the pro game. Smith 's not sure why there is any doubt.

"I guess a lot of people say I look like I'm cruising, going through the motions,' he said. "I guess my feet aren't moving as fast as (Eric) Dickerson's feet or Bo's feet. I don't know. I'm not going to compare myself to anyone. I think my ability speaks for itself.'

The pro experts agree.

"That was an excellent trade for Dallas,' said John Butler, director of player personnel for Buffalo. The Bills drafted 16th, one spot ahead of where Dallas grabbed Smith , and despite having no need for a tailback, they were considering Smith . "We were looking for defense, which we got (cornerback James Williams of Fresno State), but if it wasn't there, we had to look at Emmitt as the best player that might come to us.

"He's a talented young man. As far as the ability to receive, he has what you want. He runs with excellent vision. One thing I like is that he's proven he can take the thing 20 to 25 times a game. You don't have to worry about that.'

In fact, one of the first statements Smith made to the Dallas media Sunday was that he would like to carry the ball 20 or more times a game. Yes, another Dorsett similarity.

One gets the impression, though, that if Smith isn't always satisfied with his workload in the Cowboys' offense, he will express that displeasure in a manner quite unlike Dorsett's.

This is, after all, a new era.

 

[Primetime42]

Like most everyone else Jimmy had Blair Thomas rated ahead of Emmitt.

Also had man-love for James Francis.

 

[AsthmaField]

Later, the Cowboys sent five picks to the Los Angeles Raiders to get fifth-round pick Stan Smagala, a cornerback from Notre Dame.

Had Dallas made that trade in the draft this year, Cowboyszone would have imploded, the media would have declared it a national holiday and Risen Star would have been a victim of spontaneous combustion. *poof*

To make matters worse, Smagala never did anything in the NFL. He literally had nothing going for him except speed.

Alexander Wright was the fastest player in that draft, but he couldn't catch... a slight difficulty for a WR.

Jimmy Jones was only a solid player in the Cowboys deep DL rotation. Once he got out of that and was relied upon as a starter, everyone saw that he wasn't a player.

Frankly, the only other player that did much of anything besides Emmitt and Jones was Kenneth Gant, better known as the "shark".

Good thing for Dallas that Emmitt Smith was an all universe pick... because the rest of that draft stank to high heaven.

 

[Nightman]

Irvin was drafted by Landry. But yes, Johnson has an eye for talent.

He also had a lot of #1 overall picks. He picked Steve Walsh and Russell Maryland with 2 of them(though 1991 was a pretty weak draft). Dallas had 3 Top 20 picks that year and ended up with Maryland, Alvin Harper and Kelvin Pritchett(who was traded for Dixon Edwards).

 

[AsthmaField]

Also had man-love for James Francis.

Big-time love for Francis. He liked Lathon also, but he actually tried to move up for Francis, but Cincy said no. Then, Johnson tried to move up and take Ray Agnew, DT out of NC State, but New England didn't want to do it.

Only after those two failed trade attempts did Jimmy realize that Emmitt was falling down the board straight to them. Emmitt was ranked 4th overall on their board, so they started looking into moving up past Atlanta for him (since the Falcons were clearly in need of a RB). Dallas picked at #21 and Atlanta had pick #20, so Jimmy gave up a 3rd to move up to Pittsburgh's #17 spot.

Dallas got the future all-time NFL rushing leader and Atlanta settled for the next best thing: Steve Broussard.

Dallas had gotten Terrence Flagler from the 49'ers in Plan B free agency that year, but they viewed Emmitt as a clearly better runner, so they pulled the trigger with Pittsburgh. Flagler never did much of anything and poor Atlanta barely missed out on Emmitt. Broussard never did anything in the NFL.

I remember wondering how sick Atlanta must have felt in a couple of years when it was evident just how good Emmitt really was. They had sat there looking at the board and nobody between them and Emmitt needed a RB, so they were just waiting on him to fall in their laps. They had to be absolutely sick.

Needless to say, nobody ever mentioned that traded third after Emmitt put on his pads. No articles were written about how many picks were lost, and no surveys were taken asking who they should have taken with that 3rd.

Nobody even mentioned the 5 picks that were traded for Stan Smagala, who couldn't even play football he was so terrible.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Wow, I'd forgotten that Jimmy gave up five picks for a white cornerback. :/