Draft History: 1994

IRVING – Jerry Jones' first draft without Jimmy Johnson featured a move up the board in the first round to get a pass rusher. That's not to say it came off without a hitch.

The Cowboys traded up from 28th to 23rd to get Arizona State defensive end Shante Carver, but it was another Pac-10 sack specialist the Cowboys truly desired.

Wide receiver Alvin Harper was set to be traded to the Los Angeles Rams early Sunday afternoon after the Rams had agreed to a $5.3 million, three-year deal. But the trade never happened.

Jones said the deal, which would have sent Harper and a second-round pick to the Rams for the fifth pick, died when New England picked USC defensive end Willie McGinest.

"We were aggressive and imaginative, and we were close to getting McGinest," said Jones. "Everything was in place for the deal to get done."

Jones was counting on another team trading with New England for the fourth pick and drafting Fresno State quarterback Trent Dilfer. Jones said the Cowboys made no efforts to trade with New England on Sunday because the Patriots had indicated no interest earlier in the week.

But when New England picked McGinest, ESPN's camera inside the Cowboys' draft room caught Jones' head falling onto the table.

Jones denied that the Cowboys made any efforts to deal with the Rams once McGinest was chosen.

"They called us back, but we said we weren't interested," said Jones. "Alvin Harper is one of the finest receivers in the NFL. The only way we were giving up Alvin Harper was to get McGinest."

The developments involving Harper early Sunday bordered on the comical. A quick summary:

Harper's agent, Jimmy Sexton, asked the Rams for $5.4 million over three years. The Rams offered $5.1 million, and Sexton called Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones to say there was no deal.

Shortly before the draft began, Jones called Sexton to say he would pay the $300,000 difference as a bonus. Then Jones called back to say the league had nixed the deal.

Later, the Rams raised their offer to $5.3 million, and Harper agreed to the package. Harper, visiting relatives in Washington, D.C., went to a Kinko's Copies to get a FAXed contract from the Cowboys. He sent it back to Dallas but it arrived at the Cowboys' offices as an almost blank sheet of paper with only his signature on it.

Harper was sent back to the store to try again when the Rams told Sexton they were still trying to work a deal for the seventh pick after trading down two spots. The contract had been thrown away by a Kinko's employee.

As it turned out, it didn't matter since there was no deal. Said Jones, "It was the most convoluted situation I've been in involving a trade in the past six years. We were trying to work a trade, negotiate a contract and adhere to the rules of a new system."

The Cowboys had to wait almost another three hours before getting on the board with Carver. They sent the 49ers their second-round pick (62nd overall) to move up five spots to take the Arizona State end who set a school record with 41 sacks in 44 games.

"He has that sudden burst," said scouting director Larry Lacewell. "He reminds me a lot of (Charles) Haley. Let's not get too carried away here, but we think he's good enough to play."

In giving up the 62nd overall choice to move up just five spots in the first round, Jones admitted Dallas paid "a premium" to get Carver. The Cowboys calculate all draft trades on a chart that awards points to each pick in the draft, and they overpaid for this one.

"But it was a small premium based on the parameters we've been using for five years," said Jones. "The only other time we've paid a premium to move up in the first round was when we traded up to get Emmitt Smith. Maybe that's a good sign."

In the second round, using a compensatory pick they received for losing free agents Steve Beuerlein and Kelvin Martin, Dallas chose guard Larry Allen of Sonoma State. The small-school lineman, who played at four high schools and two colleges, may be tried at tackle, line coach Hudson Houck said.

Jones said the Cowboys had arranged to move out of the second-round with that pick in order to pick up another selection but couldn't pass up the opportunity to draft Allen.

"He's a player who can step right in here and do it," said Jones.