The 1997 Dallas Cowboys – with four NFC Championship appearances and three Super Bowl victories in the past five seasons – aimed to return to glory behind their core superstars: Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, and Deion Sanders. Unfortunately, Dallas’ offense sputtered all year, averaging a paltry 19.0 points per game. The Cowboys lost their last five contests and finished 6-10.
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Yes, their season was disappointing. And yet, it offered Jones a unique opportunity. Dallas secured the No. 8 overall pick because of their poor record. With that came a chance to add a true difference-maker who could extend the Cowboys’ dynasty: Randy Moss.
In hindsight, selecting Moss was obvious. But at the time, Moss’s prospect status was murky. He played only one collegiate season at Marshall after being kicked off of Florida State’s roster. His production for the Thundering Herd – 90 receptions, 1,647 yards, 25 touchdowns – was otherworldly. However, the off-field concerns that kept him from being a Seminole were a major red flag.
With one diva receiver (Irvin) already on the team, Jones felt it best to avoid compounding the issue. They selected defensive end Greg Ellis – who recorded 84 career sacks – instead of Moss.
Ellis put together a solid career, but Moss became a Hall of Famer. The Cowboys aren’t in a position to choose Hunter like they were with Moss, but Rich Eisen thinks it’s exactly what they should do.
“I’m going to pound this drum for the next 10 days… I pounded it before leaving for the week last week. Jerry Jones, go trade for Travis Hunter. Do it. Go trade for Travis Hunter. You need an injection of superstardom. You need it [and] you know you want it,” he said on the Rich Eisen show.
He believes history could repeat itself if they don’t do everything in their power to bring him to Dallas. As a result, he wants Jones to finally go all-in on claiming that elusive fourth Super Bowl.
“[When] you’re paying all of these stars… you trade draft capital [from] the future to get one of the biggest stars to come to this team since Randy Moss wanted to show up. This is what we’re talking about here, cause it checks every box.”
The Dallas Cowboys once had an inarguable status as America’s Team. They still dominate headlines these days but haven’t been the same force on the field in decades.
Dallas’s lack of playoff success – and free agent inactivity in recent years – hasn’t dimmed Jerry Jones’ light, though. He can still be found expounding that the Cowboys are in a window of Super Bowl contention. Rich Eisen doesn’t have the same faith as Jones. But he does think Hunter can be the harbringer of change in Dallas.
To Eisen, the 2025 NFL Draft represents the perfect time for Jones to reinvigorate his fanbase and to rectify the mistake he made nearly 30 years ago by passing on Moss.
Many have claimed that Jones only cares about media wins in the modern era. A drastic trade up from No. 12 overall to make Hunter a Cowboy would lay waste to those assertions. Whether Jones has the stones to pull off such a bold move, though, remains to be seen. He has just 10 days left to ponder pushing his chips to the center of the table.
