15. Dana Stubblefield, Washington Redskins (1998):
This 290-pound defensive tackle from Kansas set the league ablaze in 1997, securing 15 sacks for San Francisco on the way to being named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press. Washington offered him a six-year contract worth $36 million, which was big money at the time.
Stubblefield never came close to living up to that billing, however, tallying only seven sacks in three years with the club. He was plagued by injuries, yet it was still a disappointing tenure considering he played opposite tackle Dan ‘Big Daddy’ Wilkinson, who was perceived to take some of the heat off Stubblefield by drawing constant double teams. He returned to the 49ers for the 2001 and 2002 seasons and played for Oakland in 2003 before retiring, but could never regain the magic he had in 1997.
