Worst draft classes for a team

[Brian wolf]

Good call 7D ...

Did Carano keep Joe Montana from being drafted by Brandt? Montana was the highest rated player left on the Cowboy's board that day of the draft but three QBs on the roster meant Joe couldn't join their team and alter history. Back then, arm strength had more consideration over mobility and every team knew that Montana was slender and light. You would think film study would show Joe's mental toughness at the end of college games but general managers, coaches and scouts simply doubted him, though the 3rd round was still better than Brady or Purdy, who were improperly evaluated.

[Bryan]

Dutton gave the Cowboys some solid play but "didn't work wonders for Dallas", Robert.

Yeah, I think Dutton was considered a flop in Dallas. Usually the Cowboys were always able to unload their garbage to other teams and pick up high draft picks, and this was like the first time the Cowboys got the short end of a trade. Its possible that was the reason for drafting Glenn Carano...have him on the roster, showcase him a couple times at the end of blowouts, then trade him to the Buccaneers for a 1st round pick.

On a related note, I think that is what helped Gil Brandt in the Cowboys glory years...even though they were winning Super Bowls he was still able to swing trades that brought high picks like Too Tall and Dorsett, and in general the Cowboys were always among the NFL leaders in number of draft picks. The Cowboys started making worse personnel decisions in the 80s, and that seemed to hurt them just as much as unproductive drafts. In the 80's they were no longer drafting at the top, and thats why their 1st/2nd round picks were so ho-hum.

[Brian wolf]

Losing Reeves and Ditka from the coaching staff affected the team as well. Landry couldn't adjust to younger players like he once could. The Cowboys failed to coach up a touch thrower in Steve DeBerg as well. It's not like Brandt wasn't continuing to bring in talent while Schramm was trying to fleece teams for draft picks.

I can understand Brandt making the HOF but to get voted in before a Kotal, Vainisi, Haley, Klosterman, Razzano, or even a Joe Thomas, shows the prestige the Cowboys have maintained.

[7DnBrnc53]

I have no idea why Sid Gillman traded that pick away to Dallas (that became Too Tall). Sid made some stupid trades when he was with the Oilers.

As for Dorsett, I don't know if they get him if Joe Roth was healthy, and didn't have cancer. Some team like the Rams (with picks and excellent depth) may have been able to get Roth, and Dorsett may have ended up in the Big Apple with the Jets.

[rewing84]

Dutton gave the Cowboys some solid play but "didn't work wonders for Dallas", Robert. The Cowboys needed corners and linebackers in the worst way and should have addressed it with that first round pick. They also needed to draft offensive linemen in the 80s but didn't do a great job of that either. By 1984, the veterans were trying to hang on but Danny White was taking a beating and suffered injury in 1986 that basically ended his career.

The Cowboys were so bad in 88 and 89 that Irvin and Aikman were no-brainers. Cowboys fans can only imagine how good Irvin could have been without the early injuries but his work ethic and team play enabled him to become a great player anyway.

Sherrard could have been a great pick as well but injuries affected his career. Brandt made great picks throughout his career but a lot of bad choices as well. Players like Christensen and Walter weren't coached up effectively and some players simply had bad luck at the start of their careers. Later round picks and free agents actually helped the team more than the earlier round picks but this team should/could have won at least another SB or two, had they drafted better. The team needed more speed on both sides of the ball and simply didn't get it ...

Agreed Brian it seemed to me for whatever reason Brandt neglected those positions

[7DnBrnc53]

You would think film study would show Joe's mental toughness at the end of college games but general managers, coaches and scouts simply doubted him, though the 3rd round was still better than Brady or Purdy, who were improperly evaluated.

Green Bay's Red Cochrane banged the table for Montana to no avail. Also, according to this article, the Chiefs would have been content on using a second-rounder on Montana, but Jack Steadman intervened:

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/671 ... na-in-1979

And, there's the story of how the Bears decided at the last second to pass on Montana early in Round 3 because they had Mike Phipps and Bob Avellini.

[Brian wolf]

AVELLINI !! Ha ha ...

[JohnTurney]

1980- Traded 1st round to Baltimore for John Dutton Turned out to work out wonders for Dallas

Others have commented on this, but in fairness to Dallas, their backs against the wall. They felt they were still in Super Bowl window and saw Larry Bethea was not going to fill Too Tall's shoes. So, Dutton holding out in Baltimore, they need someone to play DE, I guess figuring Duttong can fit at left DE pull the trigger.

The thinking had to have been Too Tall was never going to come back, or if he did, they wanted some sort of leverage, that part, who knows.

Living in Texas at the time, the fans liked the trade at first.

But, it took time for Dutton to learn the Flex, and played passing downs at first ... and worked his way ... but that first year -- not effective.

So, in 1980, Too Tall comes back and they have 3 DEs ... and they move him to DT and that first year, he couldn't beat Larry Cole out, so he played as rusher again, inside ...

From they he was, I guess, you'd call him a solid DT, but prob. not what they expected for what they paid.

Too Tall taking a year off caused a domino effect with that trade ... who knows who they may have been able to get with those picks ... one difference maker and history changes --- perhaps, anyway.

[Brian wolf]

In fairness to Robert's opinion, Dutton did seem to get in on a lot of tackles, at least unofficially, so he helped the linebackers but just wasn't the same pass rusher as his Marchibroda-coached days in Baltimore. Imagine if Dallas could have gotten Keena Turner, Lance Mehl or Matt Millen at linebacker instead or Dwight Stephenson, Ray Donaldson at center, LeRoy Irvin at DB?