Harper was a player I really liked until that game vs SF. He played like shit in the game and was actually benched, then after the game when everybody was down and out was seen/heard in the lockerroom talking about how much money he was going to get when he left. Most people dont remember but we actually almost traded Alvin Harper on draft day in 1994, we wanted to mvoe up to get Willie McGinest and had a deal in place with the Rams, but the Pats took McGinest before the Rams got on the clock.
There were only a couple players we let walk that really hurt us. Losing Ken Norton hurt, because Robert Jones was never more than average and plus it made SF a much better defensive team. Jones also hated it that we lost Russell Maryland to Oakland in 96. We lost alot of lockerroom leadership when these two guys left. When we lost Mark Stepnoski we replaced him with Day Donaldson, who although he was older was actually kind of an upgrade. He was so big and physical on the inside compared to Step, and Donaldson was having a tremendous year in 1995 before breaking his leg early in December that year. It was a big hit to the OL too.
And other than a few exceptions, almost all the guys that left never duplicated the success they had in Dallas elsewhere, including Harper, who was a mega bust in Tampa.
