The Dallas Cowboys seldom spend big in free agency, so their list of biggest busts is shorter than most teams. Their rivals know this all too well, as Albert Haynesworth (Washington), Kenny Golladay (Giants) and Nnamdi Asomugha (Eagles) are some of the worst free agent signings of all-time.
In the Jerry Jones era, the Cowboys' worst signing is without question defensive lineman Greg Hardy. While Hardy was productive on the field, he was destructive (to say the least) off of it. Elsewhere, kicker Mike Vanderjagt was an abject failure, as were safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy.
Clinton-Dix and McCoy were part of Dallas' 2020 free agent class, but the '22 class was nothing to write home about, either. While they made some important re-signings, it will be remembered as the year they extended an injured Michael Gallup and traded Amari Cooper.
That wasn't the Cowboys' only hiccup at wide receiver that offseason. You might remember that James Washington signed a one-year deal. He only played two games that season due to a fractured foot suffered in camp.
The injury purportedly prevented Washington from playing in 2023, but he announced on social media that he's attempting a comeback. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that Washington has already generated interest.
Former Cowboys wide receiver James Washington attempting NFL comeback
"I was forgotten about, and I want to show the world I still have it," Washington said on Instagram. "People say, 'He's done. He's washed.' There's still a lot of meat left on the bone conditioning-wise, physical-wise. I'm stronger than ever. I train five days a week, and the other two days of the week I'm thinking about it."
It'd be great to see Washington's comeback pan out, but the Cowboys shouldn't give any thought to expediting that process. Even if Washington stayed healthy in 2022, the odds of him producing at a high level were very slim.
A former second-round pick of the Steelers in 2018, Washington compiled 114 catches for 1,629 yards and 11 touchdowns in four seasons in Pittsburgh. He hasn't posted more than 400 yards in a season since 2019. CeeDee Lamb, Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs weren't even in the league at that point.
Even though Washington is still just 28 years old and a full two years removed from his Jones fracture, the free agent market still has some compelling names, including Hunter Renfrow, Michael Thomas and Russell Gage. The Cowboys would be better off taking a one-year flier on any of those players before Washington.
There are even some fans who would rather Dallas stick with Jalen Tolbert, Jalen Brooks and rookie Ryan Flournoy than sign a veteran. While it would be great to see Washington latch on somewhere, there's zero reason for the Cowboys to reunite with the former Oklahoma State Cowboy.
