 | Feature: Cowboys need to take Dez Bryant, avoid another Moss blunder |
The Cowboys decided to pass up Randy Moss with their first-round draft selection in 1998. In 1999, the career of their Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin came to a tragic end with a neck injury.
That sent the franchise into an offensive tailspin. The Cowboys finished 28th in the NFL in passing in 2000 and 31st each of the next two seasons. It took the Cowboys seven years into the decade to finally regain status as a Top 10 passing team when Tony Romo finally hit the field.
But would the Cowboys have struggled so mightily to throw the football had Moss worn a star on his helmet the entire decade? He was busy carving out a Hall of Fame career elsewhere with the Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots.
That left Jerry Jones and the Cowboy faithful to wonder: What if?
What if Moss became a Cowboy in 1998? He might still be a Cowboy today. I doubt the Cowboys would have gone a modest 82-78 in the 2000 decade with just one playoff victory had Moss been posting his record receiving seasons in Dallas instead of elsewhere.
Ten years from now, another What if? could be looming for this franchise.
Dez Bryant is the Randy Moss of this draft – a wide receiver with extraordinary skills whose talent ranks in the Top 10 of the Class of 2010.
Like Moss, though, the Lufkin product has some character issues. Actually, some maturity issues. Can he be trusted to be both an adult and a professional when fame and fortune come his way as an NFL player?
Like Moss, Bryant figures to slide in this draft because of those concerns. He may slide out of the Top 10. He may slide through the teens. What if he's there at No. 21 – the exact same spot where the Vikings claimed Moss?
The NFC East champion Cowboys are so close to a Super Bowl. Adding a playmaker with the skill level of Bryant could put them over the top. With Romo throwing him passes, Bryant would pencil in as the favorite for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
The Cowboys hope to become the first team in NFL history to play a Super Bowl on their home field next February. They have a Pro Bowl quarterback, a Pro Bowl wide receiver and a Pro Bowl tight end. All would become better with Bryant on the flank – and the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints proved last season that championships in today's NFL are all about offense.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/football/nfl/stories/042210dnspogosselin.3fe568b.html
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