Cowboys draft missteps: Should’ve, could’ve, would’ve but didn’t

Dallas doesn’t pass up on Aaron Rodgers, twice!

The Dallas Cowboys ended the 2004 Season with 41-year-old Vinny Testaverde at quarterback. The team knew they needed a quarterback and instead of attempting to use their draft capital to move up and draft a signal-caller, they decided to sign 33-year-old Drew Bledsoe.

I liked Bledsoe but when a team trades a quarterback within the division like the Patriots did when they sent him to Buffalo, that should have been a big signal that the original team doesn’t think the guy can play anymore.

Signing a quarterback who is looking for his third team should have been a big signal to the Dallas front office that they needed a long-term quarterback and not a stopgap. Dallas had two first-round selections that year and instead of taking Cal quarterback with one of those two picks, the team twice passed on Aaron Rodgers who ended up playing behind Green Bay legend Brett Favre.

The Dallas Cowboys, who were looking to transition to a 3-4 defense all at once, selected Demarcus Ware with the 11th pick. No change there as I agree with the selection. With the 20th pick, the Dallas Cowboys could have selected their second Hall-of-Famer but instead drafted the steady Marcus Spears whom Bill Parcells really wanted.

It is rumored that Parcells was upset when Dallas selected Ware before Spears. Who knows, if Dallas had selected Spears first, Ware probably doesn’t make it to 20 and the Dallas Cowboys could have taken Rodgers who’s green room fall is still referenced during the draft.

It’s really unfortunate that this Dallas front office didn’t have the mindset to take a quarterback when everything behind Drew Bledsoe was a question mark. For those of you who will always and forever die on the Tony Romo hill, just remember that Romo was still about a year and a half away from making his first regular-season appearance.

My son was too young to remember that draft but the effects of not drafting Aaron Rodgers are still relevant today.

Whether you chuckled throughout this entire slideshow or are frustrated by the results, the Dallas Cowboys have their work cut out for them if they want to stay out of the could’ve, would’ve, should’ve debate.