Top 20 Worst Players In Modern Cowboys History

With the fourth overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys selected running back Ezekiel Elliott from Ohio State University. That one single selection has changed the fate of the Dallas Cowboys and secured their future for many years to come. He led them to a 13-3 record during his rookie season, just one year removed from a 4-12 year that most fans want to forget about.

However, after losing a battle with the NFL to remove his six game suspension to zero, Ezekiel Elliott wound up sitting out from week nine to week 14. When he left, they were 4-3 but ended up going 3-3 during his suspension including losing three straight games. The Cowboys missed him last year and wound up 9-7.

But that is not a big surprise anymore for Dallas fans. Mediocrity has become the norm in Texas, especially following a 11+ win season. You would have to go back to the days of Michael Irvin, Emmitt Smith, and Troy Aikman to find consecutive seasons of double digit wins, in 1996. Since then, any time they win 10 or more, they find themselves grabbing nine or less the following year.

It all has to do with decisions made by Jerry Jones and his front office staff. From the bad draft picks to the insane free agent signings, those bad decisions have cost the Dallas Cowboys more than their fans will ever admit.

Let's take a look at the 20 Worst Players in Modern Cowboys History.

20 Joey Galloway, WR (2000 - 2003)

The Dallas Cowboys dynasty was all but over by 2000 and they were desperately looking to add some pop to their offense heading into the 2000 season. They already had Raghib Ismail and wanted to find someone just as fast, and stronger, that could line up on the other side of the field, causing all kinds of matchup issues for opposing defenses.

So they went out and traded for one of the league's toughest wide receivers, Joey Galloway, who, at the time, was a star in Seattle. The Cowboys gave the Seahawks their first round picks for 2000 and 2001 for him. Jerry Jones then worked out a new contract with him for seven years worth $42 million with $12.5 million guaranteed making him the highest paid wide receiver in the NFL.

Unfortunately, he would tear his ACL during the season opener in 2000 and that would be all she wrote in Dallas as he was never the same and would eventually get traded to the Tampa Bay Bucs in 2004.

19 Ebenezer Ekuban, DE (1999 - 2003)

Prior to the 1999 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys spent three of their previous five first round draft picks selecting a defensive end. But they were not satisfied that they had found the missing piece, like Charles Haley, who could help secure their defensive line, and they would end up trading up to get Ebenezer Ekuban, a project at the defensive end position if there ever was one.

He earned a All-Rookie selection during his first year and followed it with a 6.5 sack sophomore campaign, leading the team. But the bad luck bug got him and took him out of the lineup for most of the 2001 season. He played two more years before going to Cleveland in 2004.

18 Eddie George, RB (2004)

For eight years, Eddie George was the definition of a workhorse, averaging 342 rushes per season for the Tennessee Titans. He was also good for 1,300 yards and seven touchdowns per year too.

But when he turned 31 years old, and signed a $1.5 million contract with the Dallas Cowboys, he had already rushed 2,733 times in eight years without missing a single game. He played in 128 consecutive games for the Titans and it showed when he became a Cowboy. His knees finally stopped him from being an elite rusher and he only started in eight games that year before retiring.

He was never the worst player in the NFL but maybe he should have just hung up the cleats following his final season in Tennessee.

17 Gavin Escobar, TE (2013 - 2016)

The Tight End position has changed in recent years thanks to freaks like Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham. Their size and speed has turned the position into a more high profile offensive one rather than a blocking one.

So when the Dallas Cowboys had a chance to draft Gavin Escobar with their second round pick in 2013, they made their choice despite analysts claiming it was a reach, even for the Cowboys. Upon his arrival, he was expected to become a pass-catching tight end that would star in their newly revamped offense but he failed to get enough playing time to catch more than nine passes for 134 yards and two scores.

If he was not drafted so high, he would not be considered a bust but given that they used a second round pick on him, this was more than a bust, it was an utter failure.

16 Chris Warren, RB (1998 - 2000)

By the time he got to the Cowboys, Chris Warren was pretty much spent. He carried the ball 1,559 times in Seattle over his eight years with the Seahawks, averaging around 215 rush attempts per season, which can take a toll on anyone's knees. So he was brought in to be Emmitt Smith's backup but ended up running himself out of Texas by 2000.

He never regained the power he showcased in Seattle and barely even got onto the field with the Cowboys, playing in just nine games in his first season there.

15 Randy Gregory, LB (2015 - 2017)

Some players show signs of being a future problem way early on in their careers. For example, when he committed to Purdue University to play college football, he ended up not being academically eligible and ended up going to Nebraska instead. After two seasons, he became one of the best prospects heading into the 2015 NFL Draft until he failed a drug test during the NFL Scouting Combine. That failed drug test pushed him all the way back into the late second round.

He eventually returned to his old ways and, in 2016, was suspended for violating the league's substance abuse policy. He then failed a second drug test, months later, and checked into rehab. That second failed test earned him a 10-game suspension this time around. He failed his third drug test in November of 2016, forcing the NFL to suspended him for an entire season.

He missed a drug test in January of 2017 and got suspended again, this time, for the playoffs.

14 Greg Hardy, DE (2015)

Before the 2009 college football season, Sports Illustrated named Greg Hardy the top prospect for the 2010 NFL Draft. But after a disappointing Senior season at Ole Miss, and his terrible Scouting Combine results, he went from being considered the top overall pick to a sixth round selection by the Carolina Panthers.

Although he turned into a Pro Bowl defensive end in Carolina, in 2014 he was arrested for assault for allegedly grabbing his ex-girlfriend, strangling her, tossing her into some furniture, and then threatening to kill her. He was found guilty and sentenced to 18 months probation on July 15th, 2014.

Just eight months later, the Dallas Cowboys decided it would be a good idea to sign him to a one-year contract worth $11.3 million (Because Jerry Jones does not seem to care about the personal lives of his players, even the ones who beat their exes nearly to death). He ended up getting a 10-game suspension about three weeks later by the NFL.

13 Al Singleton, LB (2003 - 2006)

Sometimes, it just is not meant to be. For former Super Bowl champion linebacker, Al Singleton, his time in Dallas was just not meant to be.

In 2003, his first season with the Cowboys, he started 15 games and was a great addition to Bill Parcell's defense in Dallas. But that would end in 2004 when he ended up on injured reserve and again in 2005 when he broke his clavicle, missing half the season. As he battled through injuries, he remained a benchwarmer that could not get on the field, even when he returned in 2006.

12 Tony Dixon, DB (2001 - 2004)

Since becoming "America's Team," the Dallas Cowboys draft pick selections, especially the higher ones, come with a set of expectations. These expectations are going to be a bit higher than just about any other team in the NFL.

So when the Cowboys took Tony Dixon in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft, they expected him to work his way into the next Deion Sanders. However, the story of Tony Dixon is that he is one of those talented players that was never in love with the game. He was just the best at it anywhere he went but had trouble putting forth an effort that is needed in the NFL.

11 Quincy Morgan, WR (2004)

Quincy Morgan is not the biggest, or the strongest, or even the fastest wide receiver the Dallas Cowboys could have traded for in 2004 but they did anyways because Antonio Bryant had a very public dispute with Bill Parcells, the head coach at the time. So it was more of a desperation move by the Cowboys to unload a disruptive player for a mediocre one.

It did not take very long for Bill Parcells to bench Quincy Morgan for being "uncompetitive" in the wide receiver battles that the Cowboys had throughout the year. It was almost like he did not care to be there and by the end of 2004, he was cut by Dallas.

10 Jason Ferguson, DT (2005 - 2007)

When Bill Parcells moved to Dallas, he started going after former players that fit his style of defense and Jason Ferguson was one of those molds. The former New York Jet signed with the Dallas Cowboys for five-years, $21.5 million dollars but only played in three of them.

There was simply never a good fit for him on the field and he was constantly battling for his life just to stay healthy and get in the game. The harder it was, the less he tried and he eventually was sent to the Miami Dolphins for a 6th round pick in 2008.

9 Dwayne Goodrich, DB (2000 - 2002)

Following the loss of Deion Sanders, the Dallas Cowboys were left with a couple of injury prone wide receivers, Kevin Mathis and Kevin Smith, so they had to go get themselves a cornerback with their second round selection in 2000.

So with the 49th pick in the draft, they felt they landed a steal with former Tennessee cornerback, and two-time All-SEC selection, Dwayne Goodrich. However, the injury bug bit him early and often. He strained a hamstring during preseason of his rookie year and only played five games. He then came back in 2001 and tore his right achilles tendon, forcing him to miss the entire year.

His career ended following a hit and run incident in February of 2003 that ended up with two people dying.

8 Quincy Carter, QB (2001 - 2003)

In 2000 and 2001, the Dallas Cowboys did not have a first round draft pick because they traded them away a couple seasons prior during the Joey Galloway trade. So when they needed a Troy Aikman replacement in 2001, they had to wait until the second round to draft Quincy Carter.

The Cowboys then rushed him into the starting role following a good pre-season and that became the biggest mistake of his short NFL career. For three years, Quincy Carter started in 31 games, going 16-15 while throwing for nearly 6,000 yards, 29 touchdowns and 36 interceptions.

7 David LaFleur, TE (1997 - 2000)

When the Dallas Cowboys drafted the former LSU Tight End, David LaFleur, in the first round (22nd overall) of the 1997 NFL Draft, he was seen as this project that could change the way we play football. He was 6'7" and weighed 272 pounds, he was massive for the Tight End position back then. This is before all the Rob Gronkowski's of the world entered the league. So, back then, it was tough to knock Jerry Jones for taking a shot on this guy.

However, it did not turn into much of anything and he never really turned into a star and actually retired from the NFL in 2000.

6 Roy Williams, WR (2008 - 2010)

Much like they did with Joey Galloway, the Cowboys decided to add Roy Williams to create a dangerous combination of wide receivers, along with Terrell Owens.

But, in order to get Roy Williams, the Cowboys had to give up their first, third, and sixth round picks of the 2009 Draft. What they got in return was a washed up receiver who ran his mouth more often than he caught the big passes. During his three seasons in Dallas, he never reached 40 catches or even surpass 600 yards.

What made this move even worse was how Jerry Jones signed him to a six-year deal worth $54 million dollars ($26 million guaranteed).

5 Dez Bryant, WR (2010 - 2017)

The Dallas Cowboys should have known that Dez Bryant was going to be a problem the moment they drafted him. It took him three seasons before he reached 1,000 receiving yards and more than 10 touchdowns. But once he put up career numbers in 2012, the front office figured he was cured and this was the star they drafted back in 2010.

He had amazing seasons in 2013 and 2014 and earned himself a five-year contract worth $70 million dollars. However, his decline became the moment the ink dried. He spent the last three years putting up mediocre numbers while his drops continued to climb each season until he finished with 10 in 2017, tying for the NFL lead.

Keep this in mind when seeing that word "worst". It does not always have to do with statistics, sometimes a player can be the worst for an organization for other reasons.

4 Bobby Carpenter, LB (2006 - 2009)

The Dallas Cowboys fans have considered Bobby Carpenter a bust because he was their first round pick (18th overall) back in 2006 but never really transitioned his game over from college. He had trouble defending the pass and that is a significant problem for a linebacker. He only started three games for Dallas.

The reason he is so high on our list is because of how high he was taken and who the Cowboys passed on for him. They could have taken Antonio Cromartie, Tamba Hali, Johnathan Joseph, Nick Mangold, DeMeco Ryans, or Tim Jennings, to name a few. That alone makes the Carpenter selection a bad move.

3 Mike Vanderjagt, K (2006)

Prior to his arrival in Dallas, Mike Vanderjagt was a two-time All-Pro placekicker for the Indianapolis Colts between 1998 and 2005. During those eight seasons, he led all NFL kickers with the most extra points made and overall points while being second in field goals made and field goal percentage.

The Dallas Cowboys were always one of those teams that never paid big bucks to a kicker but in 2006, everything changed and they signed Mike Vanderjagt for three years, $4.5 million dollars. The contract would end up backfiring and he would almost get cut during the preseason of his first year with the Cowboys. They later cut him following a year in which he missed five field goals, the worst of his career.

2 Terrell Owens, WR (2006 - 2008)

When the Dallas Cowboys won three Super Bowls in four seasons, they had a dynasty of superstars with super egos that still somehow managed to work as a unit. Those ego's were so big that many analysts did not understand how it worked in the locker room, especially following a loss.

An ego can be controlled and even treated by the right staff. It helps to win too.

But when an ego grows into a cancer in the locker room, that's when it becomes an issue that no one can control. As talented as the future Hall of Famer Terrell Owens was in the NFL, he was ten times worse in the locker room. His priorities did not mesh well with the Cowboys, except the QB, who always defended him, and it turned into a disaster that would hurt the team in the long haul.

1 Tony Romo, QB (2004 - 2016)

Look, Tony Romo was the most likable guy in the NFL, and that makes it tough to put him atop our list of the worst Dallas Cowboys in the modern era of football but we had no choice. If you take a look at Cowboys history, you would understand why we did this.

The last time the Dallas Cowboys had a superstar QB, they won multiple Super Bowls. Troy Aikman helped them win three rings while Roger Staubach brought them to the Super Bowl five times, winning two of them. Tony Romo struggled to get them a playoff win, finishing with a 2-4 record in the postseason, and only advancing as far as the Divisional round.

With all the passing records and regular season wins he has claimed for the Cowboys, he never brought them a trophy. They could have gone after someone else but stuck it out with Romo, even while never putting together a consistent winning team.