No, he didn't.

Sorry to introduce reality here when this line is going so well, but...

JJ drafted Walsh with a supplemental pick.

Walsh wasn't available in the normal draft...

He didn't cost the Cowboys an extra pick like Cassel cost the Chiefs - just a future selection.

He cost them #1 overall pick in 1990.

You realize how the supplemental draft works, right?

They bid a 1st round pickin 1989, and when they were awarded Walsh, they forfeited a 1st round pick the following year.

So, they used 2 first-round picks on QB's in 1989 and 1990.

and it was an incredibly stupid decision that people railed JJ on for years.

That type of scenario isn't as realistic now because of the salary cap and escalating rookie contracts.

I thought about Raji simply from a talent standpoint but the Raiders have tied up in insane amount of $$$ in bad DT's lately and I don't want to stack a top 10 contract on top of it.

The Pudgy Wonder needs someone to throw to. That person might be Michael Crabtree. However, he's not going to have a 40 time. And Al Davis loves his 40 times.

The choice may shock some but I think the Faders go Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri
over the possession type wideout Crabtree projects as.

Wouldn't shock me at all.

When it comes to Al Davis, when in doubt, go with the fastest player on the board.

I can easily see this being the pick.

They didn't know they were going to get the #1 in 1990. And they still had their second-rounder in 1989. It is NOT the same as spending your 1st and 2nd rounders for QBs in this mock draft.

Jaguars are on the clock.

I would honestly see them going with Heyward-Bey if that was the case. Al Davis loves fast and he loves freaks. Heyward-Bey combines those two.

You're right.

It's not the same.

It's worse.

They gave up 1st round picks in consecutive years on QB's.

The whole point of this is that unless the kid absolutely shits in his helmet in 2009, there's a good chance we could recoup that 2nd round pick by trading him in 2010. There might be a chance we could repeat what the Cowboys did and recoup a 1st round pick.

You all can call JJ stupid, but he has multiple rings directly because of that decision.

There's no way they take Emmitt Smith that high in 1990. The pick from the Saints was perfect.

Very doubtful. Cassel has established his value as [2nd rounder - Vrabel]. If he played up to 1st rounder level, why would you trade him?

He's only had 1 year of playing experience period, and teams were reportedly willing to trade a HIGH 1st for him.

He could have a very average year, and a QB-desperate team would pull the trigger.

Again, I'm not saying this will happen, but I understand Hamas' rational for making the choice he did - and I wouldn't be upset in the least if it worked out that way on draft day.

It is funny how it worked out, because in all likelihood they would have drafted PSU RB Blair Thomas, who was supposedly an elite RB that year and he ended up being a colossal bust.

Still, I don't think it's fair to say that you can't criticize this move because JJ has rings. That would be like someone telling you not to criticize the Cassel trade or Pioli's recent drafting history because he has rings. Most Cowboys fans still consider that JJ's worst mistake, and it could have cost them dearly.

Build their front seven for a 3-4. They probably have ROLB (Dumervil) and one ILB (Williams) and a serviceable NT (Thomas). Everything else plus an upgrade at NT are options.

Uh, no it wouldn't.

You're criticizing a decision that directly led to THREE Super Bowl rings.

At the TIME, sure criticize away. In retrospect, it appears he knows exactly what he was doing.

There is no comparison between that, and criticizing Pioli for a decision that we won't be able to determine as a failure or success for several years, especially when the rings in question have nothing to do with this particular decisiojnn.