Nov. 27, 2008; Irving, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver (81) Terrell Owens celebrates after scoring a third quarter touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks at Texas Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

Terrell Owens was rumored to be talking to Jerry Jones about coming back as the teams number three receiver. He was the most negative influence on the team at that time but most of us fans didn’t care as long as he showed up on Friday. I think T.O. might just be a little crazy though and eventually that became too much of a distraction to the teams chemistry and he was let go. I imagine a team that has some injuries will grab him this season, but for now he is unemployed.

Pacman Jones didn’t really make much of a splash after being reinstated into the NFL. He is an okay CB but he really didn’t get a chance to take off in Dallas. I am glad this was the case because he is always surrounded by drama. He was recently ordered to pay 11.6 million dollars for his involvement in a Vegas shooting. He signed a one year deal with the Bengals for $950,000 which basically means he is in big trouble very soon.

Tank Johnson had some legal troubles relating to guns before his time with the Cowboys. He went to the Bengals but in 2011 they terminated his contract.

Sam Hurd is a name fans are glad to not see associated with the Cowboys. He left the Cowboys to head to the Bears but it wasn’t long before he was trying to setup a lucrative deal to take delivery on as many as 10 kilos of cocaine and 1,000 pounds of marijuana per week. The problem was this conversation was with a federal agent.

Zach Thomas was just getting a little old and slow for the game. Good player with heart but was replaced with more speed.

Brad Johnson retired from the NFL after 17 seasons.

Marion Barber had a style that fans loved but just wasn’t destined to last. His punishing style put a hurting on his body. He left the Cowboys for the Bears and only lasted one season before shocking everyone by retiring early.

Roy Williams (Safety) was unable to maintain his punishing hits across the middle and started to slow with his age. He became a liability and tight ends made him look foolish weekly. He eventually went to the Bengals and then left the NFL all together. He is now a sideline reporter for Oklahoma football games.

Sep 19, 2010; Arlington, TX, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Earl Bennett (80) dives against the Dallas Cowboys cornerback Terrance Newman (41) at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-US PRESSWIRE

Terrance Newman is a player I really liked for a long time. His injury problems and slowing with age caused the Cowboys to move on without him. He went to the Bengals after being released by the Cowboys. I wish him well but hopefully we will not be getting burned on every deep passing play this year.

Anthony Henry was another player I liked because he always seemed to make turnovers happen. He was traded to the Lions for Jon Kitna and he was not resigned beyond the 2009 season.

Bobby Carpenter was traded with the Rams for Alex Barron. To this day it is still hard to figure out who got the best end of that deal. Bobby now plays for the Patriots and Alex is playing for the Seahawks so I guess neither team really got anything from that trade.

Leonard Davis got his giant contract and failed to live up to it so he was shown the door too. After a short stint with the Lions it seems his time may now be spent doing thing with his band Free Reign instead of the NFL.

Martellus Bennett just always seemed to have his head anywhere but in the game. I like Martellus, he is a clown like me but it just didn’t work out. He was a good blocker but appeared to have hands of stone. That coupled with him not taking the game seriously paved the way for John Phillips. Apparently the Cowboys dodged a bullet with him now that he showed up to Giants OTA’s weighing 291 lbs.

Dec. 25, 2010; Glendale, AZ, USA; Dallas Cowboys tight end Martellus Bennett against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

Patrick Crayton was also a player I liked. I lost a little bit of respect for him after his negative attitude towards the Cowboys after they got rid of him. He will not go through an entire season a free agent in my opinion but I think the Cowboys are done with that page of their history.

Isaiah Stanback was around for a while but that project ended up a complete failure. He has since been on the Patriots, Seahawks, and is now a member of the Giants practice squad.

Greg Ellis ended up being a successful draft pick at the end position for the Cowboys. People will always debate that Randy Moss was the better selection but we will never know. Though he was still a decent player he was released in 2009 to save 4.15 Million in cap space. The Raiders signed him to a 3 year deal but released him in March of 2010.

Chris Canty really upset me when he left the Cowboys for the Giants. Not because he was an elite player but because he took the time to surprise me with a call the night of my wedding to congratulate me. I was totally shocked! But he just wasn’t living up to that contract so off to the Giants he went. I suppose he will get the last laugh now that he is sporting two shiny super bowl rings.

Deon Anderson was nicknamed “cricket” Anderson because he was dared to eat a cricket in the locker room and did. Drafted in 2007 he had a few years to show his value and he failed to do so. He was released in 2010 and signed by the Dolphins a month later. He was waived by them the following year.

Flozell Adams did his job pretty well when with the Cowboys. He was put in the same category as Larry Allen by some fans. It was the fact that he was getting older and consistently leading the NFL in false starts was why he was  sent packing. Like many of these positions it is just better sometimes to take a younger approach. He was eventually dropped because of the salary cap in 2010. The Steelers picked him up and he played pretty well with them too, he was eventually dropped in 2011 after the Steelers lost to the Packers in the Super bowl.

Wade Phillips was a good guy and an ok coach. He is better suited for a Defensive coordinator position and that is where he is now for The Texans. I really like “Accountability” in a coach. He lacked that as well as a lot of his staff. (Dave Campo)

Nov 7, 2010; Green Bay, WI, USA; Dallas Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips looks on during warmups prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. The Packers defeated the Cowboys 45-7. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

There are probably people I am forgetting in this list but the main reason for this article was that Jason Garrett has managed to rid the locker room of all the negative influences and is keeping player at their best by offering competition at every position. I think Garrett is a very good coach and will win the Cowboys a Super Bowl if those Jones folks allow him to keep the reigns long enough.

Jan 28, 1996; Tempe, AZ, USA; Dallas Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin (88) in action runs with the ball after a catch against Pittsburgh Steelers during Super Bowl XXX at the Sun Devil Stadium. Dallas defeated Pittsburgh 27-17. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

I remember being young and hearing jokes from Cowboys haters about the Chicago Bears having a “Fridge” (William Perry) and the Dallas Cowboys having a “Coke Machine” (Michael Irvin). Nate Newton was another star for the Cowboys that had multiple drug charges. For a good chunk of years whenever drugs and the NFL were brought up it seemed like everyone thought of the Dallas Cowboys. I recall Jay Leno making jokes on his show about Dallas Cowboys players coming to practice while being on house arrest and referees at Cowboys games given handcuffs instead of flags. That was a bad time for Cowboys fans all over the country and was a disgrace for Americas Team.

I do believe Jerry Jones raised the bar as far as work ethnics and lifestyles for future players on the team. A prime example of that would be Randy Moss. The Cowboys were going to draft Randy Moss in 1998 but because of an incident that occurred in college he was placed on probation and tested positive for marijuana. Moss served a 60 day sentence for his violation and although it was 2 years before the draft, Jerry Jones couldn’t risk putting another cloud of smoke in the locker room. Jerry Jones may regret not drafting Moss but at least the organization has tightened up and drugs and Dallas Cowboys are not in the same sentence anymore.

Dec. 25, 2010; Glendale, AZ, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver (17) Sam Hurd against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

All the forgotten memories were very close to being relived in “Big D”. Last year the Dallas Cowboys were trying to set up a new contract with WR Sam Hurd but he ended up in Chicago along with Roy Williams and Marion Barber. Hurd didn’t take long in Chicago before getting caught trying to purchase large amounts of various drugs that in such would have made Irvin and Newton’s charges look like traffic violations. Hurd was released by the Bears after his arrest and is currently waiting for his trial, but there are reports that Hurd has a cousin trying to make purchases for him in which got him arrested as well. I am not a judge or a juror but it is obvious that Sam Hurd is choosing the wrong paths in his life.

It may not have seemed that big of a deal back in December when Hurd was arrested, but if he didn’t move to Chicago this whole incident would have been another slap in the face for the Cowboys. The way the media likes to poke at the Cowboys this would have opened a door to the past and given the team another big distraction. Distractions are one thing the Cowboys need less of. So now it becomes obvious, not signing Sam Hurd was by far the best move the Dallas Cowboys made in 2011.

Dec 7, 2008; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens (81) talks with quarterback Tony Romo (9) as they walk onto the field during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-US PRESSWIRE

T.O. was a divisive influence in the locker room for sure, not straight out tumult like in Philly, but divisive just the same.  I understood the reasoning behind getting rid of him, but I still thought that we were better with T.O. than without him.

The next year it was Patrick Crayton, traded to the San Diego Chargers for like a 7th round pick.  Crayton tended to speak out and seemed to side with T.O. in locker room division.  Though Crayton played his last year in Dallas without T.O., it was too late in Jerry and Stephen’s minds because of his outspoken behavior.  He wore out his welcome.  (more…)