The Dallas Cowboys are entering draft season and free agency with many needs across the entire roster.
There are over 25 players on expiring contracts, and as of February 23rd, the Cowboys have not re-signed any of their players.
We still have a few weeks before things begin to get serious with the draft and free agency, so I want to have a little fun with the topic first.
I am working on a series of articles identifying the Dallas Cowboys needs, and then listing my favorite all-time franchise players at those positions.
My list might feature players you don’t recognize, but that’s ok. Go ahead and comment your favorite players so we can all reminisce.
Today, we are going to focus on wide receivers, a position the Cowboys desperately need to upgrade.
Remember, this is a list of MY favorite players, not the best players in franchise history. And today, my list features a player who played in a place very close to my heart.
Catching Lightning in a Bottle
The wide receiver position has always been a position of respect and leadership for the Dallas Cowboys.
I won’t say they haven’t had their fair share of real diva behavior from a handful of players over the years. I also won’t mention any names. Ahem, Antonio Bryant and Terrell Owens, ahem.
Others have had their passion mistaken for diva behavior, like Michael Irvin and Dez Bryant. The jury is still out on CeeDee Lamb.
Speaking of Lamb, he is the only player at the wide receiver position that defenses have to plan for. That needs to change.
The Dallas offense needs a running mate for CeeDee in a bad way, and for a franchise that has had their share of productive running mates to their star receivers, they sure are having a hard time finding help after Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup left the team.
We all know the Drew Pearsons and Michael Irvins and Dez Bryants and CeeDee Lambs, but there have been some solid supporting cast beside these players in franchise history. Here are a few.
Laurent Robinson
Laurent Robinson had the luxury of coming in as a WR3 for the Cowboys just at the right time.
Robinson arrived as a free agent signing for the Cowboys in 2011 after spending a couple of seasons in St. Louis.
Catching passes from Tony Romo, Robinson immediately brought some juice to the Cowboys’ offense, and added another weapon to the arsenal.
In one season in Dallas, Robinson caught 54 passes for 858 yards and 11 touchdowns playing alongside Dez Bryant, Jason Witten, Miles Austin, and Kevin Ogletree.
Alvin Harper
One of the biggest deep threats in NFL history caught passes from Troy Aikman and played alongside Emmitt Smith and Jay Novacek.
No, I’m not talking about Michael Irvin. I’m talking about Alvin Harper.
Harper was the 12th overall pick for the Cowboys in the 1991 NFL Draft. Irvin needed a running mate, and Harper quickly proved to be the perfect complement.
He caught just 20 passes and one touchdown his rookie season, but his 16.3 yards per reception proved to be a sign of things to come.
Harper would go on to win two Super Bowls with the Cowboys before moving on in free agency, but his 24.9 yards per reception in 1994 is still the highest single-season total in franchise history.
Chris Brazzell
I would be remiss if I ended this list without talking about Chris Brazzell. I don’t expect many of you out there to remember this player.
He played in 14 games for the Cowboys between the 1999-2000 seasons, primarily on special teams.
You might be thinking to yourselves, why is a 6th round pick of the New York Jets who caught only seven passes in his Cowboys career on this list as one of his favorite players?
Chris Brazzell played high school football at my alma mater, Alice High School, in our small town of Alice, Tx, about 45 minutes southwest of Corpus Christi. I am a 2005 graduate.
Brazzell is only the second player to wear the burnt orange and white of the Alice Coyotes and have his name called during the NFL Draft.
The first was QB Sonny Brown, who went on to play quarterback for the Houston Oilers.
Brazzell’s shining moment came in a 22-21 loss to the New York Jets on December 19, 1999 at Texas Stadium in Irving.
Trailing the Jets 13-7 midway through the 2nd quarter, Aikman took a short drop and fired a pass to the left to Brazzell, who was running a slant pattern.
Brazzell made the catch and raced 53 yards to the Jets’ 25 yard line. The Cowboys would go on to score a touchdown on the drive.
Watching a player from my hometown catch a pass from Troy Aikman and race past the star in the middle of the field at Texas Stadium was one of the greatest moments for me and people from my small community.