3 players the Cowboys gave up on way too soon

1. Jimmy Smith

Another wide receiver. Go figure, right?

Smith was drafted by the Cowboys in the second round in 1992, but his career never got off the ground in Dallas. He missed the first four games of his rookie year with a fractured fibula and was restricted to special teams after returning.

Smith starred in preseason the following year but went on to miss the entire 1993 season due to a post-surgical infection following an emergency appendectomy. The following summer, Smith was cut after refusing to take a pay cut.

By the time Smith retired after the 2005 season, he was the Jaguars' greatest-ever receiver. He made five Pro Bowls in Jacksonville and led the NFL with 116 catches in 1999. He's the Jaguars all-time leading receiver and retired seventh in league history with 862 catches and 11th with 12,287 yards.

In 2016, the Jaguars enshrined Smith with a spot in their Ring of Honor.

Because it was so short-lived and he was so successful in Duval, a lot of folks don't remember that Smith's pro career began in Dallas. It's admittedly hard to fault the Cowboys for pulling the plug on Smith after his health scare, but he's without question the greatest example of a player they gave up on way too soon.

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