In the four decades I have followed the Dallas Cowboys as a fan, there have been many great players drafted by the team. Between Tom Landry, Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones, the Cowboys have had few misses in their high level choices. Overall though, there are a number of players taken over the years that have proven to be NFL busts. While the number is small, these choices came back to haunt Dallas during periods when they counted on the picks to keep them competitive.
Quincy Carter. 2nd Round (53) in 2001
Quincy Carter was a second-round pick for the Cowboys but he was the first overall selection for the team in the 2001 NFL draft. Dallas expected Carter to take over the reins at quarterback and lead Dallas into the new millennium as an all-purpose signal caller. Though he helped the Cowboys to a 10-6 mark and playoff berth in 2003, Dallas released the troublesome quarterback in ’04.
Shante Carver, 1st Round (23) in 1994
The Cowboys struck gold with many of their defensive picks in the '90s. From Russell Maryland to Darren Woodson, they built a dominant defensive unit. The one glaring exception was in 1994 with Carver. The Arizona State alum played with the Cowboys for four seasons and the defensive end finished his career in Dallas with 11½ sacks.
David LaFleur, 1st Round (20) in 1997
After Jay Novacek retired, the Cowboys looked for another big pass catching tight end for Aikman's offense. In 1997, they watched as prized tight end Tony Gonzalez fell to Kansas City with the 13th pick so Dallas jumped on LaFleur from LSU. LaFleur only enjoyed one decent year and Dallas released him after the 2000 season.
Antonio Bryant, 2nd Round (63) in 2002
Bryant has enjoyed a decent NFL career with teams like Tampa Bay and Cleveland. However, when the Cowboys drafted him in ’02, they expected Bryant to be a star. Antonio Bryant came in to Dallas and flopped, never breaking 1,000 yards in a Cowboys uniform and Dallas dumped him after two-plus seasons.
Rod Hill, 1st Round (25) in 1982
The Cowboys had some great draft picks in the '60s and '70s but things started to go wrong in the '80s for Tom Landry and company. In 1982, one of the all-time biggest Cowboys draft busts was Hill. He played for Dallas for two seasons, compiled two interceptions and left the team in 1984.
Sources
Data Base Football: Dallas Cowboys Draft History
NFL.COM: Quincy Carter
NFL.COM: Shante Carver
NFL.COM: David LaFleur
NFL.COM: Antonio Bryant
NFL.COM: Rod Hill
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