Aikman Adds Theory To Shedeur Controversy

FRISCO - So many theories abound about caused Shedeur Sanders' epic slide in last NFL Draft.

At one time projected as the top overall pick, the son of Dallas Cowboys' icon Deon Sanders ultimately slid down the board, out of the first round and into history at No. 144 in the fifth round. It was the surprise story of the draft, one that left fans, media and former players pondering and polarized.

In passing up the Scouting Combine and telling some teams he didn't want to play for them, did Shedeur - and Team Sanders - alienate his potential employers? According to multiple reports, teams found him "entitled" and "arrogant" and the New York Giants allegedly took him off their draft board after Shedeur bombed a pre-draft interview by arriving unprepared and then bristling when called on it.

Was Shedeur simply overrated, without an elite arm or NFL-quality athleticism?

Did his vibe turn off teams that struggled to <> his modest 13-12 college record with an ego that already refers to himself as "Legendary"?

Was there collusion - even racism - by NFL owners, as accused by some fans?

Or, as echoed in numerous viral rants by ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper, are league talent evaluators simply "clueless" when it comes to quarterbacks?

Troy Aikman was drafted No. 1 overall by the Cowboys in 1989 and during his five decades in the NFL as a player and TV analyst has seen hundreds of quarterbacked selected. He believes we don't know the real truth behind Shedeur's slide.

"I feel there's probably a lot more to it than what we've heard," Aikman said this week during a radio interview on The Ticket in Dallas. "It sounds to me that people questioned whether or not he could, in fact, be a franchise quarterback."

In a league that drafted Johnny Manziel's ego and routinely gives second chances to sexual abusers, Aikman thinks Shedeur - and Deion - made a couple of pre-draft missteps.

"If a team believes that you can be a franchise quarterback, they're going to take you," he said. "I mean, they're simply going to take you. From what I've heard, it sounds like if Team Sanders had a chance to do it over again, they'd probably approach it a lot differently."