Dallas Cowboys: 15 best free agent acquisitions of all-time
123. . Tight End. (1990-95). Jay Novacek. 2. player
Tight end Jay Novacek was Jason Witten before Witten was Witten for the Cowboys. Drafted in the sixth round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the then-St. Louis Cardinals out of Wyoming, Novacek never recorded more than 38 receptions during a season in his first five years in the league.
Novacek signed with the Cowboys as a free agent in 1990. He quickly became a favorite target of second-year quarterback Troy Aikman, who was the No. 1 overall selection in the previous year’s NFL Draft out of UCLA.
The sure-handed tight end was named to the Pro Bowl five-straight years as a member of America’s Team from 1991 to 1995. Novacek was also named an All-Pro Second Team in 1991 and an All-Pro First Team in 1992.
More importantly, the veteran tight end was an important part of a Cowboys’ team that won three Super Bowl championships in four years. The Cowboy don’t end up winning three Super Bowls without having Novacek in his absolute prime as an NFL tight end.