The 25 Most Overrated Dallas Cowboys in Franchise History

The word overrated is often associated with the Dallas Cowboys. Whether it's the debate about the greatness that is Emmitt Smith, the Cowboys' failure to win or reach a Super Bowl since 1995 or their billion dollar stadium that does not match their play on the field, Dallas may be a derivative of the word overrated.

As with many subjective lists that are strictly based on opinion, this list is sure to garner a few nasty looks and maybe a few cheers. Fans do not take well to any writer, pundit or so-called expert talking bad about the team they love so dearly.

So, please direct all hate messages and threats to the comment section or my Bleacher Report inbox. I am sure that I will receive some after this piece is finished.

With that being said, here are the 25 most overrated Dallas Cowboys in recent history as I see it.

Roy L. Williams, Safety

Mr. Williams was a big hitter who was terrible at covering the deep ball. When he was a rookie, he made such an impact on the field with his ability to deliver an earth-shattering hit that many viewed him as a Ronnie Lott type of enforcer.

Then, teams figured out his weakness—pass coverage. Oh, and that horse-collar thing.

Williams is a good guy who loved being a Cowboy, but when the team decided to release him a few seasons ago, it was because he was no longer progressing as a defender.

Because of his inability to adjust or improve a weakness, Williams makes this list of overrated players

Troy Aikman, Quarterback

Go ahead and spew your hatred toward me now. I know and understand that placing Aikman on any overrated list is dang near blasphemous. He won three Super Bowls with the Cowboys and played a large role in the team’s overall success in the 90s.

Fans and others may view this list that I am about to point to as subjective, but Cold Hard Football Facts lists Aikman as one of their five most overrated quarterbacks ever.

If Mr. Aikman were to play in today’s NFL, I stand to believe that fans would be ready to run him out of Dallas. The same argument that many use to discount Emmitt Smith as the greatest running back of all time is the same one that I will partially lean on for my stance on Aikman—he was surrounded by superior talent.

Aikman tossed over 140 interceptions in his career and had a career passer rating of 81.62.

Terence Newman, Cornerback

I like Newman, I really do. I believe he served the Cowboys well during his time in Dallas, and for that, I commend him.

However, Newman never progressed in becoming the type of lockdown cornerback the team wanted him to be. He was always solid and gave his all on the field. His last years with the Cowboys were marked by injury, which is why it was easy to jettison him during the offseason.

I'll always believe that Newman was a good Cowboy while in town, but he was slightly overrated because the talent surrounding him was never as good as it should have been.

Keyshawn Johnson, Wide Receiver

The receiver, and now so-called NFL analyst, is probably best known for his nickname of "MeShawn." Johnson is one of the most overrated wide receivers in the history of the league because of his attitude and overall arrogance.

He was never as good or great as he thought he was and gave himself way too much credit for the contributions he gave to the teams he played on.

"MeShawn" can be found on ESPN Sunday mornings during the season giving uninformed opinions, kissing the cheeks of former Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells.

Bill Parcells, Coach

I understand that Parcells was never a player for the Cowboys, but his service with the team has been greatly overrated. Parcells was praised for bringing talent to Dallas and putting the team in the right place to make a run at a Super Bowl.

But riddle me this. Parcells won 34 games and lost 30 of them in Dallas. Since his departure, the team has won one playoff game and struggled to get there each season after.

If this man is responsible for placing Dallas in a competitive position and bringing the right mix of talent to Dallas, why hasn't that mixture produced a Super Bowl? Did Mr. Parcells do Dallas that many favors while he was in town?

He just about ruined the Miami Dolphins and ran off with their money once he was done tearing that team down. So, did he truly fix the Cowboys?

Larry Brown, Cornerback

Mr. Larry Brown was the hero of Super Bowl XXX and turned his success in that game into a new contract with the Oakland Raiders. He was lucky in the fact that Steelers quarterback Neil O’Donnell thought that he played for Pittsburgh that night.

But I can’t blame him for capitalizing off a great situation for him.

He returned to the Cowboys years later after his time with the Raiders didn’t work out so well and retired into obscurity.

Roy E. Williams, Wide Receiver

Any receiver who signs a contract extension worth $45 million should at least average 1,000 yards per season, correct?

Williams best season as a Cowboy was 2009 when he caught seven touchdowns for 596 yards. If Dallas signed him for less money and did not give up so much to get him, then he would still be on the team. But because he cost so much and produced so little, the team was forced to get rid of him.

I really thought that having "Big Roy" would do wonders for the Cowboys offense, as he was paired with receiver Terrell Owens at the time. I was wrong.

Antonio Bryant, Wide Receiver

I think that Bryant never quite lived up to what he was capable of doing on the field. I remember talking with former Cowboys wide receivers coach Wes Chandler, and he told me how Bryant was the hardest working receiver he had ever worked with.

That just never materialized on the field for Dallas, and he didn't last long. Well, throwing a towel in the face of Bill Parcells doesn't help your situation either.

A great talent but an overrated player.

Anthony Spencer, Linebacker

Spencer has been the talk of many fans as of late because he was recently franchised by the team. He wants a long-term deal with Dallas, but he’ll have to have a greater on-the-field presence for Mr. Jones to extend that type of offer toward him.

He's a decent linebacker and nothing overly special. He does his job, most of the time, and Dallas was forced to him sign him due to there being a lack of talent in the free-agency pool.

I think that Dallas will watch what he does this season and make a decision on him in 2013. If he has another five- or six-sack year, then the overrated Spencer will play with a new jersey and new team next year.

Julius Jones, Running Back

Many, including myself, thought that Jones would be a pretty good running back for the Cowboys. He rushed for 1,000 yards, and that just about sealed him as the next greater to have a star on the side of his helmet.

Then, he fell off, and the Cowboys ended up cutting him. He didn't have the vision and quick first step that I believe he had, and he eventually proved himself as just another ordinary running back.

Felix Jones, Running Back

Is Jones underrated? After former running back Marion Barber was cut, and Jones was tabbed to take over, it didn't go as expected.

His best season still stands as the 2010 campaign when he played in all 16 games and ran for 800 yards. Since then, albeit only one season, Jones has played in just 12 games and rushed for 575 yards.

I like Felix and believe that he's a great weapon. But he'll eventually end up on the cutting room floor due to health or salary cap reasons.

David LaFleur, Tight End

LaFleur was tabbed to be the next Jay Novacek when he was drafted. He then proceeded to catch 85 passes in four seasons.

Do I really need to write anything else?

*Dez Bryant, Wide Receiver

Two seasons and a total of 1,489 yards. I’ll place an asterisk next to his name because his story isn’t complete, but there have been disappointments with Bryant so far.

He has had trouble learning the offense and has had some issues with health. His off-the-field problems have been well-documented, and he's expected to have a breakout season in 2012.

He's a wonderful talent once he puts it all together; he may turn out to be a great receiver. Until then, he’s overrated.

Troy Hambrick, Running Backs

Any player or coach who follows a legend has little-to-no chance of success. Troy Hambrick was charged with replacing Emmitt Smith.

During his four years with Dallas, Hambrick rushed for less than 2,000 yards.

Overrated.

Joey Galloway, Wide Receiver

Galloway, like Roy Williams, was brought in to provide a spark for the Cowboys offense. He did, at times, but did not produce as expected on the football field.

He totaled 2,341 receiving yards while in Dallas, and his best season produced just 908. A really fast player with great talent but an on-the-field disappointment.

Quincy Carter, Quarterback

When speaking about Quincy, it's impossible to speak on his story without mentioning his struggle with drugs. Supposedly, the reason as to why he was released by the Cowboys before the 2004 season is due to his problems with illegal substances.

I thought that he would be serviceable for the Cowboys, but when he took Dallas to the playoffs in 2003, the team put way to much stock in his talent and services.

A decent player, yet he wasn't what the Cowboys needed him to be.

George Teague, Safety

Teague will live in Cowboys lore because of one, big hit. He tried to destroy Terrell Owens for celebrating on the Cowboys' star.

Besides that, Teague was just average. He was just an OK safety, and that's about it.

Cowboys fans will always love him for protecting the star, however, his on-the-field presence doesn’t deserve such praise.

Orlando Scandrick, Cornerback

Scandrick isn’t that great of a player, and the Cowboys know that. The team believes he’s worth his $27 million extension, and they are just flat-out wrong.

Scandrick should have thousands of dollars in the bank instead of millions based off his play. Any player who's beaten over 30 times in one season doesn’t deserve a contract of that magnitude.

Herschel Walker, Running Back

The Cowboys did not believe Walker was worth the pay or the trouble, so they traded him away for a number of draft picks who produced three Super Bowls.

Sans his work on the field and his potential, Walker is partly responsible for the Cowboys' dynasty by being overrated on the field.

Sherman Williams, Running Back

He played for four seasons in Dallas and did OK on the field. He was then arrested for drugs, and that pretty much put his career to bed.

He was a star for the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 90s and attempted to parlay that success into a lucrative NFL playing career.

Williams was known as “The Sherman Shakedown” in Tuscaloosa, and unfortunately for him and fans, we never got to see the full potential of Mr. Williams.

Bobby Carpenter, Linebacker

Any player drafted in the first round, as Carpenter was, and fails to remain with his original team just five season later is overrated.

Now, don’t get me wrong, that could be for a number of reasons—health, attitude, and etc. For Mr. Carpenter, it's due to on-the-field play.

He was traded to the Rams for the tackle who shall forever live in infamy for Dallas—Alex Barron.

Remember him?

Bradie James, Linebacker

James' main issue is that he can disappear for long stretches and is often beat in pass coverage. He played well for the Cowboys and was a tough guy in the middle of the defense.

James did his best but often underachieved, as most of those on the Cowboys' roster.

He wasn't retained this offseason, and new starter Sean Lee is more than capable of leading the Dallas defense.

Shante Carver, Defensive Line

Carver's best season came in 1997 when he totaled six sacks. Like many Cowboys before him, Carver struggled with drug issues that eventually led to the end of his career.

He was picked in the first round and was supposed to anchor the Cowboys defense. The first-round selection is what overrates him. Well, that and his awful play on the field.

Dan Bailey, Kicker

Hear me out on this one. Bailey did a fantastic job as the Cowboys' kicker last season and will do well in 2012.

But too often, players will have a really good season or long stretch of a season and automatically believe in that player's ability.

For Bailey, I need to see it for another season as kickers can often go from hit to bust.

*Doug Free, Offensive Tackle

Another player with asterisk next to his name. 2012 will be vital for Free’s success as 2010 was great, 2011 was average and 2012 will be…what?

Free has changed to the right side of the offensive line and should do much better without all of the pressure of protecting the arm and body of Tony Romo

This will be the year that Free either lives up to his contract or buckles under the pressure. If he can’t take it, he may be run out of town as well.