Worst Free Agent Signings in Cowboys History

As every NFL fan knows, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones isn't afraid to flaunt his checkbook. That has been the case, unsuccessfully, ever since the Cowboys franchise last appeared in a Super Bowl, all the way back in 1996.

Desperate to hoist the Lombardi Trophy again, Jones has shown the tendency to toss money in the direction of free agency to put his 'Boys over the top. Of course, that hasn't always worked out.

Here are the worst free agent signings in Cowboys franchise history.

4. OT Ryan Young

Bill Parcells was hired in 2003 to run the Cowboys in hopes of bringing them back to the Super Bowl. One of his first moves was bringing in a former New York Jets seventh-round draft pick, offensive tackle Ryan Young. Dallas signed the lineman to a three-year, $6.5 million contract. But Young had a knee condition, which turned out to be a huge detriment to his production; he was limited to just 11 games (eight starts), and was released at season's end.

3. DE Greg Hardy

There was a bad stink surrounding defensive end Greg Hardy from the very beginning. The Carolina Panthers cut ties with Hardy in the midst of his disturbing domestic violence case. The Cowboys, who've never shied away from troublesome athletes, signed Hardy to a one-year, $11.3 million contract. Hardy's production dropped, and he only made himself a distraction in the Cowboys locker room. From his questionable comments, to his late arrivals to team meetings, to shoving a coach on the sideline at the end of a regular season game against the New York Giants, Hardy was an unmitigated disaster. After his tenure in Dallas ended, he never played another NFL game.

2. CB Bryant Westbrook

This is just a case of bad luck for Jerry Jones and Co. The Cowboys believed they'd gotten themselves a quality cornerback in Bryant Westbrook, previously of the Detroit Lions. In the 2002 season opener, Westbrook was guilty of a 43-yard penalty against the Houston Texans, and was torched all game, resulting in the team's 19-10 loss to the expansion team. That would be all for Westbrook, as he was cut just days after the game. A one-year, $1 million pact lasted just one game.

1. K Mike Vanderjagt

Mike Vanderjagt was, at the time, one of the more accurate kickers in the NFL. So the Cowboys looked to address their desperate need for a quality leg, and gave Vanderjagt a three-year, $4.5 million deal, along with a $2.5 million signing bonus. That proved to be costly for the Cowboys, as Vanderjagt completed just 13-of-18 attempts. What stuck out more was that he was 2-of-5 from 35-yards plus. Head coach Bill Parcells had enough, and replaced him with Martin Gramatica. Vanderjagt was released after 11 games.