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2nd round (46) - Sherman Williams, RB, Alabama

Entering the 1995 NFL draft, the Dallas Cowboys considered their roster so strong, that they drafted players based on their contributions as backups. The team traded their first round draft choice (28th overall) to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for two second-round picks. The Cowboys selected Williams with their first choice in the second round, which was criticized by the media and quarterback Troy Aikman, for using a high selection on a backup player. As a rookie he was a part of the Super Bowl XXX championship team.

In 1997, he was expected to relieve more of Emmitt Smith's workload, but the additional playing time exposed him as fumble-prone.

Williams was released during the 1998 offseason, after the team signed Chris Warren to be the backup running back and improve their depth.[1] After Warren strained his groin in preseason, the team re-signed Williams as insurance.[2] He contributed by being third on the team on special teams tackles (17) and while Warren's injury forced him to miss eight regular season games, Williams stepped up against the New York Giants in Week 3, when he rushed for 61 yards on 20 carries (including an 18-yard touchdown run) and in the final game of the regular season against the Washington Redskins, when he rushed for 90 yards on 23 carries and also caught three passes for 19 yards.

In the 1999 preseason, after the Cowboys third team running back (Tarik Smith) suffered a season-ending knee surgery, Williams was once more re-signed, but was eventually released after the first game of the regular season.


2nd round (59) - Kendall Watkins, TE, Missippi State

Watkins was selected in the second round of the 1995 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, to be the team's blocking tight end. Even as a rookie he was one of the biggest tight ends in the NFL, and contributed with his blocking en route to winning Super Bowl XXX.

He suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during the 1996 preseason and was placed on the injured reserve. In 1997 the team released him in a controversial move.[1]

Denver Broncos[edit]In 1998, he signed with the Denver Broncos after being out of football for a year. The team ended up trading him back to the Dallas Cowboys during the preseason, in exchange for a fifth round draft choice.[2]

Dallas Cowboys (second stint)[edit]The Dallas Cowboys released Watkins before the 1998 season started, after claiming tight end Hayward Clay off waivers.
:brick


3rd round (92) - Charlie Williams, CB, Bowling Greene

The Dallas Cowboys coveted his special teams skills and his athletic ability, so they drafted him in the third round of the 1995 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he finished fourth on the team with 18 special teams tackles and was a part of the Super Bowl XXX championship team.

In 1996, he tore knee ligaments in a mini-camp and was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list. Upon his return he was limited to 7 games and contributed in the nickel defense.[1]

In 1997, he played on the nickel defense and established himself as one of the best special teams players in the NFL, by leading the Cowboys with 26 tackles and earning Pro Bowl consideration. Williams was also recognized as the best cover special teams player in the league, by Paul Zimmerman of Sports Illustrated.[2]

In 1998, he was re-signed by the Cowboys to a two-year contract.[3] He competed for the starting free safety position that was left open after Brock Marion left as a free agent, but it was eventually assigned to George Teague. During the year he made his first NFL career starts at cornerback (3), to replace the injured Kevin Smith and Deion Sanders. In 1999, he had 8 starts at cornerback.

Williams was not re-signed after the end of the 2000 season.


3rd round (supplemental pick) - Darren Benson, DT, Arkansas State

The Dallas Cowboys thought Benson had the athletic potential to develop into a Leon Lett type player and selected him in the third-round of the 1995 Supplemental Draft, surrendering by rule an equivalent pick in the 1996 NFL Draft.[2] As a 20 year old rookie he was deactivated during the first half of the 1995 season, until injuries in the defensive line gave him a chance to have a reserve role throughout the second half of the season.

In 1996, he was having problems adjusting to the professional game and decided to quit the team during mini-camp.[3] After he was convinced to return, he suffered torn anterior and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee and was placed on the injured reserve.[4]

In 1998 he was lost for the season in training camp, after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.[5] He tried to come back in 1999, but was released before the season started.



4th round (110) Eric Bjornsen, WR, Washington State

Bjornson was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the 1995 NFL draft, with the plan of converting him to tight end.[1] As a rookie he contributed on special teams and as a backup, while being part of the Super Bowl XXX championship team.

He became a starter in 1996, after Pro Bowler Jay Novacek suffered a back injury, that eventually forced him to retire. He would go on to start 10 games and had career-highs with 48 receptions (second on the team) and 3 touchdowns, despite playing through ankle injuries that limited his playing time over the final four games of the regular season and the playoffs.[2]

In 1997, although the Cowboys had drafted tight end David LaFleur in the first round, Bjornson still was an integral part of the offense, finishing second on the team and third among NFC tight ends with 47 receptions and third with a career high 442 receiving yards. He suffered a fractured left fibula in Week 14, that placed him on the injured reserve.

In 1998, he was re-signed by the Cowboys to a two-year contract. That year he played in all 16 games mainly as a backup (four starts), and although he was used some times as the slot receiver in four-wide receiver sets, his production decreased when he wasn't the starter.

In 1999, he played in all 16 games (six starts), finishing with 10 receptions for 131 yards. He was also used as the placekicker holder and had a 20-yard touchdown run on a fake field goal attempt.

Bjornson had 127 receptions for 1,232 yards (9.7 avg.) and six touchdowns during his five seasons with the Cowboys.


4th round (129) Alundis Brice, CB, Mississippi

Dallas Cowboys[edit]Brice was selected in the fourth round (129th overall) of the 1995 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, after he dropped because of health concerns. When the team acquired Deion Sanders, Brice was given a BMW to switch jersey numbers so that Sanders could wear his #21. Even though Brice had already stated he had no attachment to the number.[2]

As a rookie he played on special teams and the nickel defense. He started against the Oakland Raiders in place of Larry Brown, who had missed the week because of a family tragedy. In 1996, he was starting in place of Sanders against the Arizona Cardinals, when he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and was placed on the injured reserve list.[3]

During his rehab treatment he suffered a career threatening injury, when his kneecap ruptured (snapping into two pieces) and was lost for the 1997 season.[4] He wasn't re-signed by the Cowboys.


4th round (130) Linc Harden, LB, Oklahoma

Theres nothing on wikipedia on this guy so he might not really even exist. We drafted a fake person, y'all


5th round (166) Edward Hervey, WR, USC

Hervey was selected in the fifth round of the 1995 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys and was kept on the inactive list as a rookie with a leg injury. He was released on August 20, 1996.


5th round (168) Dana Harvey, LB, Illinois

Howard was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fifth round of the 1995 NFL Draft (168th pick overall). He signed with the St. Louis Rams and played in 16 games in 1995. In 1996, he played in three games with the Chicago Bears.


7th round (236) Oscar Sturgis, DE, UNC

Oscar Lee Sturgis (born January 12, 1971 in Hamlet, North Carolina) is a former professional American football Defensive end in the National Football League. He would play with the Dallas Cowboys in 1995. He was a member of the Cowboys Super Bowl XXX championship season. He dated a woman named Michelle Muray (Facebook) from Florida and was engaged to be married but it did not work out. :lol
 
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Tampa Bay used the 1st round pick we traded them to select Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks.
 

Mr.Po

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2000 and 2001 NFL Drafts rank right up there

The stench is still strong enough for me to say 2009 draft was the worst.
 
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Ah. 2009. Another year where we drafted for back ups.

Odd how that doesn't seem to work out.
 
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What kills me about this 1995 draft is how basically everyone shredded their knee by like their 2nd year.

We traded a first rounder to a team who used that selection to take a hall of fame LB who would've been perfect for us.

We drafted one guy who doesn't even exist.

We drafted a drug king pin at RB who ended up in prison

Everything was just bad about this class.
 

dbair1967

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We traded a first rounder to a team who used that selection to take a hall of fame LB who would've been perfect for us.

It was one of the all time worst drafts ever for us without question.

In defense of the above though, we really didn't "need" Derrick Brooks as we had a pretty strong LB corp, including WOLB Darrin Smith who was outstanding his first two years in the league. The other two starters were Robert Jones and Dixon Edwards, Edwards was also a really solid starter.

Of course Smith held out in 1995, missed about half the season, showed up overweight and out of shape and was never really the same player again. So had we known he was going to do that, Brooks would have been an amazing addition and made Smith expendable.
 

Bob Sacamano

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Still, if you have a chance to add a HOF to improve the group you do that. Of course it was impossible to see that at the time. But that's why we're using hindsight to look back on it.
 

Doomsday

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Of course Smith held out in 1995, missed about half the season, showed up overweight and out of shape and was never really the same player again.
No Jimmy, no fear of getting replaced.
 

dbair1967

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No Jimmy, no fear of getting replaced.

Jimmy wasnt there in 1994 either, and Smith had a great year...Edwards did too

Dixon Edwards was a really underrated player for us...had one of the alltime great hits on Ricky Watters one yr
 

dbair1967

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Contract year. Mo money mo money, hence the holdout. No way he comes back fat and out of shape if Jimmy's there.

He held out as a rookie too IIRC

Quirky contract he signed, only a 2yr deal
 

dbair1967

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Almost like somebody didn't trust him.

His agent apparently insisted on it

Most forget but Emmitt only had a 3yr deal when he signed his first contract (he was a 1st rd pick, and Emmitt also held out for a long time)

2 & 3 yr deals were not all that uncommon then
 
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It was one of the all time worst drafts ever for us without question.

In defense of the above though, we really didn't "need" Derrick Brooks as we had a pretty strong LB corp, including WOLB Darrin Smith who was outstanding his first two years in the league. The other two starters were Robert Jones and Dixon Edwards, Edwards was also a really solid starter.

Of course Smith held out in 1995, missed about half the season, showed up overweight and out of shape and was never really the same player again. So had we known he was going to do that, Brooks would have been an amazing addition and made Smith expendable.

There was a time during Jerry's ownership when the Cowboys believed that they didn't need to spend much money on linebackers. Jerry believed that he could plug and play average linebackers and do just fine. Maybe that's a part of the reason they passed on Brooks.
 

Bob Sacamano

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There was a time during Jerry's ownership when the Cowboys believed that they didn't need to spend much money on linebackers. Jerry believed that he could plug and play average linebackers and do just fine. Maybe that's a part of the reason they passed on Brooks.

He believed free agent LBs could be replaced that way through the draft. So that doesn't explain why we passed on Brooks.
 

Doomsday

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His agent apparently insisted on it

Most forget but Emmitt only had a 3yr deal when he signed his first contract (he was a 1st rd pick, and Emmitt also held out for a long time)

2 & 3 yr deals were not all that uncommon then
By this time Jimmy wasn't getting all of his sayso on draft day. You said the contract was "quirky" and it was. The guy didn't come with all the bona fides Emmitt did, and was a character question as well. Something that reared its ugly head come renewal time.

You seem to be questioning that Jimmy's departure didn't greatly reduce discipline, in spite of many players of the time on the record, saying it did. Of course it did. There is no way Smith returns from a holdout, fat and out of shape if Jimmy is still the coach. Because he knows he can't get away with that.
 
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