OK - I would like to take a stab at this for fun :)
 
Yes there are lots of bigger name position players we can talk about - Tim is doing a great job on that so far and I might write about some as I think of them.  One player transaction that still sticks in my gut from all the way back in the year 2000 is the one I want to talk about today because I still honestly don't know what happened...
 
For the 2000 season training camp the Cowboys brought in a kicker with a big leg from Washington State named Ryan Lindell. He had a good college career and was for a strong accurate leg.
 
He began training camp perfectly hitting long field goals, short field goals, deep kickoffs - the works. As a matter of fact the running story around town is that this kid had not missed a single kick at all in camp.
 
I was excited to see this since the Cowboys had struggled mightly the year before with Richie Cunningham and even, of all people, Eddie Murray.  I went to camp to personally watch him kick (and of course all the other action) and I had seen what I needed to see - I said to myself "give this kid the job and he will kick here for 10+ years". I was thrilled our kicking woes were over.
 
Then something weird happened - the Cowboys brought in somone to "challenge" Lindell - an unknown named Tim Seder from Ashland College. Where?  Exactly - noone knew...
 
Seder also began making kicks and a duel of sorts started in camp. Neither kicker was missing ANYTHING. However, when seeing the kickers in person there was a noticeable difference in the two of them. Seder would make his field goals but always with just enough room to spare.  The ball did not expode off his foot and he did not get particularly deep kickoffs. Lindell on the other hand always commanded a loud "thud" when he hit the ball and it always sailed comfortably through with plenty of room to spare.
 
So - I thought - ok there is nothing to worry about here - the job is still Lindell's. Then a weird thing started happening - people starting talking about Seder because of his "story" - being an unknown and small in stature. Stil I thought - who cares - none of that crap really matters unless you outperform someone on the football field.
 
I was proven wrong on that count - both kickers went through the entire preseason and if I remember correctly neither missed a FG.  Lindell was the stronger kicker but Seder had the better story.
 
At the end of camp I was SHOCKED to here they had given the job to Seder and Lindell had been released. I remember that day saying to myself "the Cowboys are going to really regret this..."  Seattle needless to say immediately snapped up Lindell. To give you an idea of the results of both of these decisions...
 
Lindell has been an extremely successfull NFL kicker since the 2000 season. His career FG percentage is over 80% and he is the most accurate kicker in Buffalo Bills history. Yes - let me make that clear - in the conditions in BUFFALO - he is over 80% and their most accurate kicker ever. He consistently is in double digits in touchbacks every season - had 10 in 2008.
 
Since 2000 the Cowboys have employed the following group of kickers:

1. Tim Seder
2. Jon Hilbert
3. Billy Cundiff
4. Jose Cortez
5. Mike Vanderjagt
6. Martin Grammatica

 
And there are probably even a few more in there I think I have forgotten. Now to his credit Seder kicked very well in his rookie year and it "almost" looked like a good long term decision. However, he always seemed a bit shaky and in his second season he began falling apart. Lindell however kept getting better...
 
I can't possibly calculate the number of games lost due to poor kicking over these years. I especially paid more attention to it during the Parcells years when they brought in Vanderjagt. I paid attention all season that year and based on either missed field goals or having to manage the game differently because of shaky kicking I counted 3 games we lost in the 10-6 year because of kicking. Yes I do honestly think we could have been 13-3 that year...go back and watch the games - the kicking was HORRIBLE and Parcells manages the game to be close so it killed us...
 
The moral of this very long story is - kickers are important and never let a good story keep you from snagging a real talent when you have one...a good story is great in the short term but winning games is a much better story in the long run...
 
I am very pleased to say we seem to have a long term answer in Folk - I wish he was better at kickoffs but he outstanding at FGs and we can manage our game knowing he will consistently be over 80%.  However, don't think I wasn't nervous when I saw him and Grammatica fighting it out in camp - I thought I was going to see the same mistake again but this time they got it right...
 
Thanks Goodness...