NFL.com writer: Five of top six Cowboys draft busts picked during Jerry Jones era

[Cr122]

NFL.com writer: Five of top six Cowboys draft busts picked during Jerry Jones era
By Rainer Sabin / Reporter
4:53 PM on Mon., Mar. 14, 2011

Since 1967, the Cowboys have drafted 93 players in the first two rounds. Some went on to become bona fide superstars, such as Troy Aikman , Tony Dorsett, Larry Allen , Randy White, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin . Others -- including Jim Jeffcoat, Daryl Johnston and Alvin Harper -- pieced together solid, productive careers.

Then there were the guys who seemed to be picked in a fit of irrational exuberance. They never came close to realizing their projected stardom and will continue to live in ignominy as draft busts.

Adam Rank of NFL.com compiled a list of high-round picks by the Cowboys that regrettably transformed into sunk costs. Interestingly enough, five of the six players Rank highlighted were selected after Jerry Jones became the owner in 1989.

And while it's hard to dispute many of Rank's choices, it seems as if his list could have been enhanced had he opted to take a deeper look in the archives to find some other worthy candidates. Although he did acknowledge the infamous Rod Hill in passing, how could he forget the forgettable Kevin Brooks, Jim Eidson or Dennis Homan?

All three players predated Jones' ownership, but it can be argued that they made fewer contributions than Julius Jones, who is included in Rank's rankings but gained 1,084 yards in 2006 and has had a decent career.

The same can't be said for some of the other players Rank has listed or many of the the ones he didn't -- among them a guard from Michigan State named Shane Hannah who was taken with the 63rd pick in 1995. He never even played a regular-season game for the Cowboys. If he isn't considered a bust, then no one else mentioned above should be either.

 

[Cr122]

Way to go Jerruh, you teh awesome.

 

[cmd34]

I will fight everyone on this board! Jerry is the best GM in the universe. Anyone who says different should go root for another team!

Sound good dbair?

 

[Midswat]

Who were the 6 listed?

And was Julius Jones really one of them?

If so, then I'd question the list. The kid was a 2nd round pick, and has had some moments. 7 years later, he's still in the league.

Besides, I wouldn't even put Julius on Jerry. That was a Parcells guy.

I mean, Jerry sucks as a GM/talent evaluator. I get that. But I'd question 5 of the top 6 draft picks being under his watch, with him primarily getting the fault.

Especially when players like Danny Noonan and Mike Sherrard were selected right before Jerry took over the team.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

lol it would be nice if we could actually see the list.

 

[dbair1967]

Pretty much bullshit. SBK or some other dipshit must have done the research.

We had some alltime awful picks before Jones ever bought the team. There's certainly alot of lousy picks from the Gil Brandt days to talk about.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

sbk, did you write that? lol hahaha

 

[Cr122]

Nope....I'm pretty sure it was Rainer Sabin.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Nope....I'm pretty sure it was Rainer Sabin.

Is sbk, sbk's 1st name?

 

[sbk92]

Is sbk, sbk's 1st name?

Yes. It's pronounced "sibik".

 

[sbk92]

I haven't seen the list but Julius Jones doesn't belong on it.

Check the draft classes from 94-02. You won't find a worse stretch than that on any team in the history of the league.

 

[dbair1967]

I haven't seen the list but Julius Jones doesn't belong on it.

Check the draft classes from 94-02. You won't find a worse stretch than that on any team in the history of the league.

Guarantee you we can if we look.

As for the drafts themselves. Some were downright dreadful. The 95, 00, and 01 drafts in particular. The trade down in 1996, passing on a player we reportedly had rated in the top-15 on our own draft board (Tony Brackens) for Kavika Pittman and Clay Shiver was also pathetic.

Some of the picks werent that bad in other drafts, they just didnt work out. Nobody knew Shante Carver would ruin himself with alcohol. Nobody knew David LaFleur's back would give out. Almost everyone thought the 02 draft looked really solid, even great. Then pinheads like Antonio Bryant and Derek Ross unraveled. Roy Williams certainly looked like an all world player his first couple years in the league, then fell off the face of the earth instead of becoming a perennial DPOY candidate.

There were some good picks sprinkled in. Larry Allen was a spectacular pick in 1994. Randall Godfrey was a good player. Dexter Coakley, Flozelle Adams and Dat Nguyen were all good picks.

 

[sbk92]

Guarantee you we can if we look.

Guarantee you can't.

Prove me wrong. Find it.

As for the drafts themselves. Some were downright dreadful. The 95, 00, and 01 drafts in particular. The trade down in 1996, passing on a player we reportedly had rated in the top-15 on our own draft board (Tony Brackens) for Kavika Pittman and Clay Shiver was also pathetic.

Some of the picks werent that bad in other drafts, they just didnt work out. Nobody knew Shante Carver would ruin himself with alcohol. Nobody knew David LaFleur's back would give out. Almost everyone thought the 02 draft looked really solid, even great. Then pinheads like Antonio Bryant and Derek Ross unraveled. Roy Williams certainly looked like an all world player his first couple years in the league, then fell off the face of the earth instead of becoming a perennial DPOY candidate.

There were some good picks sprinkled in. Larry Allen was a spectacular pick in 1994. Randall Godfrey was a good player. Dexter Coakley, Flozelle Adams and Dat Nguyen were all good picks.

Excuse making. Anybody would have some good picks mixed in to 9 years of draft classes. But nobody did a consistently worse job than Jerry during that time. It's why he had to throw up his hands and bring the all timer in to save the team.

Who didn't know about Carver? lol He was universally panned as the horrific pick he was.

I don't care what people thought, I care what they produced. Since when is a GM's job not results oriented?

You're bringing 5 names in to support those 9 years.

Shante Carver, George Hegamin, Sherman Williams, Kendall Watkins, Shane Hannah, Darren Benson, Charlie Williams, Kavika Pittman, Clay Shiver, Stepfret Williams, Mike Ulafale, Steve Scifres, Kenny Wheaton, Ebenezer Ekuban, Solomon Page, Dwayne Goodrich, Quincy Carter, Tony Dixon, Willie Blade, Derek Ross.

There's 20 right back at ya. Every one of the them drafted in the first 3 rounds during those 9 years. Epic historic failure never before seen in the league. This doesn't even mention the many failed picks in rounds 4-7.

 

[sbk92]

The scary thing is 2009 looks a lot like those years.

 

[Mr.Po]

Similar list.........All time busts

According to this guy only one pre Jerry

http://blogs.nfl.com/2011/03/14/pick-six-cowboys-all-time-draft-busts/

BLOGS /Sidelines Official Blog of the National Football League

Pick Six: Cowboys’ all-time draft busts By Adam Rank |
Published: March 14th, 2011 |

NFL.com senior analyst Pat Kirwan offered up his two-round mock draft, and one name that stood out was Nebraska CB Prince Amukamara going to the Cowboys. Interesting choice, and when you think of the Cowboys drafting a defensive back you can’t help but think of the famed Rod Hill pick in 1982.

Would Hill make this list of top draft busts? No, not if I want to speak to Gil Brandt ever again. Just kidding! So without further ado, the top six busts in Cowboys history.

Also considered: Hill, CB Aaron Kyle, T Howard Richards and WR Mike Sherrard.


David LaFleur was taken 20th overall in 1997. (George Bridges/Associated Press)
6. Julius Jones, 43rd overall, 2004
Hard to put a second-round pick in this spot, but when you consider the players the Cowboys were linked to, well, this pick just looks worse.

Could have had: RB Steven Jackson. This almost seemed a lock as Jackson had grown up a Cowboys fan, and the team needed a running back. Instead, the Cowboys traded their first-round pick to the Bills and took Jones. The pick the Cowboys got from the Bills in exchange landed DE Marcus Spears.

5. Danny Noonan, 12th overall pick, 1987
Noonan impressed in the weight room, and there were visions of him being the next Randy White. Instead of the Manster, he was more of a buster.

Could have had: Noonan was the cap of a four-year run of first-round busts for the Cowboys. T Bruce Armstrong would have been the first of four consecutive Hall of Famers taken in the first round of the draft by the team — Michael Irvin (1988), Troy Aikman (1989), Emmitt Smith (1990).

4. LB Bobby Carpenter, 18th overall, 2006
Carpenter never made much of an impact during his four years with the Cowboys, outside of his appearance on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” when he was mocked by lineman Marc Colombo who called him “Barbie” Carpenter.

Could have had: CB Antonio Cromartie, although you could argue that things could not have ended well for Cromartie in Dallas.

3. DE Ebenezer Ekuban, 20th overall, 1999
The Cowboys spent a good deal of time trying to find the next Charles Haley during the 1990s. Needless to say, Ekuban was no Haley.

Could have had: DE Patrick Kerney might not have been the next Haley, but he would have been a pretty good player for the Cowboys.

2. TE David LaFleur, 20th overall, 1997
The Cowboys also spent a great deal of time trying to unearth the next Jay Novacek in the draft, too. When you think of how hard the Cowboys tried to replace Haley and Novacek, you realize how valuable they were to the Cowboys.

Could have had: The Cowboys should have done whatever it took to get Tony Gonzalez. And if they couldn’t, DE Marcellus Wiley would have prevented them from needing Greg Ellis the next year.

1. DE Shante Carver 23rd pick, 1994
This pick smacks of Jerry Jones thinking to himself, “I’ll show that Jimmy Johnson a thing or two.” Yeah, mission accomplished.

Could have had: WR Isaac Bruce, who would have taken over for the departing Alvin Harper the following season.

Was Carver the worst draft bust in team history? Normally you all are too shy to offer your opinions, not only of my hairstyle but my picks, but I implore you to sound off.

 

[dbair1967]

Guarantee you can't.

Prove me wrong. Find it.

No prob, I'll do the research this weekend. Considering how consistently bad some teams have been over the years, it wont be hard.

Who didn't know about Carver? lol He was universally panned as the horrific pick he was.

Your man Mel loved the guy, so did alot of people. He had double digit sacks all 4 years at a major university. He was universally regarded as a late 1st or early 2nd rd pick.

You're bringing 5 names in to support those 9 years.

Because you said every pick was bad, and every pick wasnt bad.

Shante Carver, George Hegamin, Sherman Williams, Kendall Watkins, Shane Hannah, Darren Benson, Charlie Williams, Kavika Pittman, Clay Shiver, Stepfret Williams, Mike Ulafale, Steve Scifres, Kenny Wheaton, Ebenezer Ekuban, Solomon Page, Dwayne Goodrich, Quincy Carter, Tony Dixon, Willie Blade, Derek Ross.

Some of those guys were exceptionally bad picks, some of them were picked where (or close to where) they were expected to go, and just didnt pan out. I dont blame whomever picks a guy if they pick them where they are expected to go, then dont work out. Some of that falls onto the coaches laps. I blame the GM when they reach exceedingly bad for a player and then the player sux. Guys like Kavika Pittman (instead of Brackens), Dwayne Goodrich, Quincy Carter etc etc fall into that category. A guy like Ekuban isnt in the same category with some of the others IMO because evryone had him rated as a middle to middle/late 1st rd pick, and thats where we picked him. Solomon Page is a guy we drafted later in the 2nd, and most had him rated as a late 1st rd pick. He stunk because he wouldnt work hard after his rookie year.

There's 20 right back at ya. Every one of the them drafted in the first 3 rounds during those 9 years. Epic historic failure never before seen in the league. This doesn't even mention the many failed picks in rounds 4-7.

And I'm not arguing the results are bad. I'm saying not every pick from those drafts was a failure, and also that alot of those guys were picked where just about everyone had them rated at (not all, but alot)

There is definitely an element of luck in drafting.

 

[sbk92]

I never said every pick was bad. Nobody can go through 9 years of draft classes and not get a few quality players.

But nobody has produced so little, with so many picks over a near decade stretch than Jerry.

Have fun with that research. I'm sure you'll find somebody whose done worse, except not really. It'll be your homerism talking.

Mel Kiper ripped the Cowboys for taking Shante Carver. Nice try. Wrong dude.

 

[sbk92]

An element of luck to drafting. lol

That dang Jerry. He's unlucky.

You should get a lifetime achievement award at the Homers.

 

[dbair1967]

.

Mel Kiper ripped the Cowboys for taking Shante Carver. Nice try. Wrong dude.

if he ripped the pick after the fact, its further proof of what a stupid ass Kiper is then, because Kiper loved the guy before the draft. I have all his guides from about 1991-2003 or so, so I can go back and find exactly what he said about him.

 

[dbair1967]

An element of luck to drafting. lol

That dang Jerry. He's unlucky.

You should get a lifetime achievement award at the Homers.

You dont think the draft is part luck? Really? Are you this blatantly stupid?