The one that got away...

[LJP]

Pretty sure that there are plenty of examples where a team let go of a player, only for history to take hold of things.

The Bears seem to have had their fair share. Amongst others...

1) Lionel Taylor - the Bears had Taylor as a rookie in 1959 (8 games, 0 receptions). He joined Denver in the AFL in 1960 and in the next 9 seasons (Denver & Houston) racked up 567 receptions for 7,195 yards and 45 tds, including 4 x 1,000 yard seasons.

2) Bill Brown - after his rookie season (22-81-0 rushing & 2-6-0 receiving), Halas was talking of trading Brown. Ditka said to Halas something along the lines that "it was none of his buisness, but he thought he was making a mistake trading Brown". Halas chirped back "you're right, it is none of your business". In the following 13 years Brown had 1,627 carries for 5,757 yards and 52 tds, as well as 284 receptions for 3,177 yards and 23 tds, with the Vikings.

3) Keenan McCardell - after brief stints with Washington & Cleveland (1-8 receiving), McCardell spent time in 1993 on the Bears Practice Squad. He rejoined Cleveland and after stops in Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, San Diego and finally Washington, finished his career after 2007 with 883 receptions for 11,373 yards and 63 tds.

[JohnTurney]

Pretty sure that there are plenty of examples where a team let go of a player, only for history to take hold of things.

The Bears seem to have had their fair share. Amongst others...

1) Lionel Taylor - the Bears had Taylor as a rookie in 1959 (8 games, 0 receptions). He joined Denver in the AFL in 1960 and in the next 9 seasons (Denver & Houston) racked up 567 receptions for 7,195 yards and 45 tds, including 4 x 1,000 yard seasons.

2) Bill Brown - after his rookie season (22-81-0 rushing & 2-6-0 receiving), Halas was talking of trading Brown. Ditka said to Halas something along the lines that "it was none of his buisness, but he thought he was making a mistake trading Brown". Halas chirped back "you're right, it is none of your business". In the following 13 years Brown had 1,627 carries for 5,757 yards and 52 tds, as well as 284 receptions for 3,177 yards and 23 tds, with the Vikings.

3) Keenan McCardell - after brief stints with Washington & Cleveland (1-8 receiving), McCardell spent time in 1993 on the Bears Practice Squad. He rejoined Cleveland and after stops in Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, San Diego and finally Washington, finished his career after 2007 with 883 receptions for 11,373 yards and 63 tds.

Don Maynard, New York Giants. But maybe they would have never traded for Shofner if Maynard turned out like he did in AFL
Browns let Willie Davis and Jim Marshall get away, their DEs were Wiggin and then they got Glass... but imagine them in the 1960s with Davis and Marshall.

[JeffreyMiller]

Jack Kemp ... Giants and 49ers
Len Dawson ... Browns and Steelers

[JohnH19]

The Steelers and Unitas
The Bills and Lamonica

[BD Sullivan]

Jack Kemp ... Giants and 49ers

Even worse, the Chargers lost him because they screwed up by trying to sneak him through waivers. Interestingly, the only reason the Bills got him was because they won a coin flip with the Texans/Chiefs. Dallas had also claimed him, which resulted in the coin flip, after Stram had signed Dawson just a few months earlier following the latter's release by the Browns.

Another player the Browns traded to the Packers was Henry Jordan and while they didn't really have any kicking issues in the 60's and 70's, Cleveland also dispatched Fred Cox to the Vikings.

[Ronfitch]

Don Maynard, New York Giants. But maybe they would have never traded for Shofner if Maynard turned out like he did in AFL
Browns let Willie Davis and Jim Marshall get away, their DEs were Wiggin and then they got Glass... but imagine them in the 1960s with Davis and Marshall.

A season before trading Willie Davis to the Packers, Paul Brown also away future HoF DT Henry Jordan to the Packers for a 4th round choice before the '59 season.

After one year of mostly special teams play, DE Ben Davidson was traded away by Lombardi during training camp in 1962.

[BD Sullivan]

The Browns cut Jim Langer.

The Oilers traded away Charlie Joiner to Cincinnati and cut Steve Largent.

The Raiders drafted Lance Alworth and dealt him to the Chargers in January 1962 for RB Bo Roberson, QB Hunter Enis, T Gene Selawski

[JohnTurney]

Chargers had Larry Little and let him go
Eagles had Bob Keuchenberg and cut him

[Jeremy Crowhurst]

The Falcons had a quarterback they'd taken in the second round who went on to have a pretty good career someplace further north....

[Jeremy Crowhurst]

Baltimore & Priest Holmes... not sure if he was cut or he just played out his contract.