This is part one of an occasional series, musing on what the Dallas Cowboys would look like had they kept a player who ended up playing out his career elsewhere. Unless I specifically make the argument, it's not meant to be a second-guess of the decision to let the player go - just a big "what if?" How else can I fill the off-season? (See Part 2)

So, with the recent release of Terrell Owens from the roster, let's look back at another mercurial wide receiver, a guy the Cowboys drafted in the second round, and gave the hallowed #88: Antonio Bryant. Bryant was a value pick, having slipped to the second round due to character issues, but few doubted his talent. He was one of only two college wide receivers to have received the Biletnikoff Award as a sophomore. The other? Randy Moss.

In his rookie year, he managed 733 yards and 6 touchdowns, but midway through his third season, a year highlighted by his throwing a jersey in Bill Parcells' face, he was traded to Cleveland, where he played through the 2005 season. After one year in San Francisco, he was kicked to the curb, and spent a full year out of football before reviving his career in Tampa Bay, where he caught 83 passes for 1248 yards and 7 touchdowns in 2008.

So...journeyman the Cowboys receiving corps is better off without? Not so fast.

Bryant was the ninth wide receiver taken in the 2002 draft, and has spent his career catching passes from the likes of Quincy Carter, Chad Hutchinson, Vinny Testaverde, Kelly Holcomb, Trent Dilfer, Charlie Frye, and Alex Smith. Yet, even after a full year out of football, he has compiled more catches and yards than every one of the receivers drafted ahead of him, and more TD catches than all but two. Read it and weep (listed in draft order):

Name, Catches-Yards-TDs
Donté Stallworth, 296-4383-32
Ashley Lelie, 217-3749-15
Javon Walker, 267-4011-31
Josh Reed, 284-3284-9
Tim Carter*, 80-1084-4
André Davis, 150-2411-17
Reche Caldwell*, 152-1851-11
Antwaan Randle El, 298-3684-15
Antonio Bryant, 333-5085-26

* not playing any more

Was it wrong to get rid of him? It's a little tough to make that argument. What you can't argue is that the Cowboys drafted a very talented wide receiver, who, if he had been able to keep his head screwed on right, could have made this team a lot better.