Dynasties Start with QB Competition, Not QB Friendliness

[jterrell]

Mannn I know it is the off-season but this is a king-sized stretch.

Dynasties are started by finding your QB. You know like the Dallas Cowboys of the 1990s.
Like the Chiefs drafting Mahomes.
It really doesn't matter what he competition is.
It is about finding your guy.

 

[OmerV]

Johnson was all about competition at every position, especially in the early days. He may have thought of Aikman as the starter but he wasn't going to just bath his talented but unproven young QB in annointing oil. He absolutely consciously created a competitive situation at the QB position.

It wasn't just for the sake of competition. They wouldn't have used a high 1st round pick for that. Johnson obviously wasn't convinced of Aikman, and he felt good about his U of Miami Of course it's a different situation to have competition at every position when coaching what may have been the worst team in the NFL with the least talent, but that didn't carry through once the talent level rose. In the case of Walsh, Johnson wouldn't have used a high 1st round pick on a QB just for the sake of competition. Johnson obviously had doubts about Aikman, and he was a fan of his former U of Miami QB, so he was hedging his bet. After he decided Aikman was the better player he traded Walsh and there was never QB competition again. .

 

[OmerV]

There was no competition between Brady and Bledsoe or Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre. Bledsoe was the established starter in New England. He got injured, Brady took over and never relinquished the job. Similar to what happened in Dallas when Romo got hurt, Dak over and never relinquished the job. Brett Favre was the established starter in Green Bay. The Packers decided to move on and go with Aaron Rodgers.

And even then, it was after Favre had announced his retirement, and after Favre had toyed with retiring for several years before that. Favre did change his mind about retiring, but by then the Packers were tired of the back and forth and uncertainty with Favre.

 

[OmerV]

Walsh was never in contention for the starting job.

I tend to think Jimmy would like for him to have been, and if Jimmy had seen anything to justify it he would have given his former U of Miami QB a chance. I don't think the Cowboys would have used a high 1st round pick on Walsh if they didn't think that highly of him.

 

[Vtwin]

It wasn't just for the sake of competition. They wouldn't have used a high 1st round pick for that. Johnson obviously wasn't convinced of Aikman, and he felt good about his U of Miami Of course it's a different situation to have competition at every position when coaching what may have been the worst team in the NFL with the least talent, but that didn't carry through once the talent level rose. In the case of Walsh, Johnson wouldn't have used a high 1st round pick on a QB just for the sake of competition. Johnson obviously had doubts about Aikman, and he was a fan of his former U of Miami QB, so he was hedging his bet. After he decided Aikman was the better player he traded Walsh and there was never QB competition again. .

I don't disagree with any of this. My point to PJ was that Aikman did face legitimate competition in the beginning. I remember it the same way you do. Johnson, unsure of what he had with Aikman, brought in a quality QB he was familiar in to give him options. I didn't mean to imply Jimmy brought in players he thought had no chance simply to create a competition. I was just saying even a stud, #1 overall draft pick had to look over his shoulder until he proved himself the better choice.

One of Johnson's best attributes as a coach was the way he used his understanding of psychology to motivate his teams.

 

[Dak_Attack_09]

Watching Green Bay and Tampa Bay. Notably both quarterbacks (Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady) were drafted by teams with successful quarterbacks: Brett Favre and Drew Bledsoe.

The list below demonstrates, to me, that Romo-Friendliness and Dak-Friendliness isn't the way to go. I'm OK with keeping Dak. But I also want to use the top 10 pick on a qb for competition. And rather than look at it as an insult to him, it actually will bring him to the next level, if he has that next level in him.

Observe:

1960s Green Bay Packers
When Bart Starr was drafted by the Packers, Tobin Rote was a Pro Bowl starter. Babe Parelli, a #4 overall draft pick, was on the bench. In the AFL after leaving the Packers, Rote went on to an MVP season and Parelli became an AFL All-Star multiple times. If Tobin Rote were the Cowboys QB today, Jerry would throw money at him.

1970s Steelers and Cowboys
When the Cowboys drafted Roger Staubach, they had Don Meredith and a year later drafted Craig Morton in the first round. Meredith retired when Roger returned from the Navy. Obviously Morton was no slouch. Two SB appearances, and outstanding stats in his two undisputed years as Cowboys starter. Staubach won his first Super Bowl from off the bench, then went back to the bench to start the next year. But Roger won out.

In 1969, the Steelers chose QB Terry Hanratty with the 30th overall pick (2nd round, in the 1st round now). So naturally, they did what Jerry would do: put all of their resources into Hanratty because their credibility was tied up in him. No, of course not. They used the 1970 No. 1 pick overall on Terry Bradshaw. And late round pick Joe Gilliam was the starter at the beginning of their first SB year. They churned.

1980s 49ers
Less of a case here. But Joe Montana did beat out journeyman Steve DeBerg, who wasn't bad and led the Chiefs to playoff berths later in his career. Of course, the Commanders rotated quarterbacks. But I wouldn't recommend that strategy.

1990s Cowboys
Troy Aikman. Steve Walsh.
And obviously Steve Young joined the Niners during the Montana years.

2000s/2010s Patriots
Drew Bledsoe went to the Pro Bowl in 1994, 1996, 1997. The Patriots drafted Tom Brady in 1998. Like Staubach, Brady won a Super Bowl and went back to the bench for a short time, IIRC.

Obviously QB competition didn't destroy these guy's tender egos. It brought the best out of them.

How do you write such trash and call yourself a Cowboys fan.

 

[Rockport]

Watching Green Bay and Tampa Bay. Notably both quarterbacks (Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady) were drafted by teams with successful quarterbacks: Brett Favre and Drew Bledsoe.

The list below demonstrates, to me, that Romo-Friendliness and Dak-Friendliness isn't the way to go. I'm OK with keeping Dak. But I also want to use the top 10 pick on a qb for competition. And rather than look at it as an insult to him, it actually will bring him to the next level, if he has that next level in him.

Observe:

1960s Green Bay Packers
When Bart Starr was drafted by the Packers, Tobin Rote was a Pro Bowl starter. Babe Parelli, a #4 overall draft pick, was on the bench. In the AFL after leaving the Packers, Rote went on to an MVP season and Parelli became an AFL All-Star multiple times. If Tobin Rote were the Cowboys QB today, Jerry would throw money at him.

1970s Steelers and Cowboys
When the Cowboys drafted Roger Staubach, they had Don Meredith and a year later drafted Craig Morton in the first round. Meredith retired when Roger returned from the Navy. Obviously Morton was no slouch. Two SB appearances, and outstanding stats in his two undisputed years as Cowboys starter. Staubach won his first Super Bowl from off the bench, then went back to the bench to start the next year. But Roger won out.

In 1969, the Steelers chose QB Terry Hanratty with the 30th overall pick (2nd round, in the 1st round now). So naturally, they did what Jerry would do: put all of their resources into Hanratty because their credibility was tied up in him. No, of course not. They used the 1970 No. 1 pick overall on Terry Bradshaw. And late round pick Joe Gilliam was the starter at the beginning of their first SB year. They churned.

1980s 49ers
Less of a case here. But Joe Montana did beat out journeyman Steve DeBerg, who wasn't bad and led the Chiefs to playoff berths later in his career. Of course, the Commanders rotated quarterbacks. But I wouldn't recommend that strategy.

1990s Cowboys
Troy Aikman. Steve Walsh.
And obviously Steve Young joined the Niners during the Montana years.

2000s/2010s Patriots
Drew Bledsoe went to the Pro Bowl in 1994, 1996, 1997. The Patriots drafted Tom Brady in 1998. Like Staubach, Brady won a Super Bowl and went back to the bench for a short time, IIRC.

Obviously QB competition didn't destroy these guy's tender egos. It brought the best out of them.

Here we go again, another not so subtle "Crap on Dak" thread.

 

[Doomsday77]

Watching Green Bay and Tampa Bay. Notably both quarterbacks (Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady) were drafted by teams with successful quarterbacks: Brett Favre and Drew Bledsoe.

The list below demonstrates, to me, that Romo-Friendliness and Dak-Friendliness isn't the way to go. I'm OK with keeping Dak. But I also want to use the top 10 pick on a qb for competition. And rather than look at it as an insult to him, it actually will bring him to the next level, if he has that next level in him.

Observe:

1960s Green Bay Packers
When Bart Starr was drafted by the Packers, Tobin Rote was a Pro Bowl starter. Babe Parelli, a #4 overall draft pick, was on the bench. In the AFL after leaving the Packers, Rote went on to an MVP season and Parelli became an AFL All-Star multiple times. If Tobin Rote were the Cowboys QB today, Jerry would throw money at him.

1970s Steelers and Cowboys
When the Cowboys drafted Roger Staubach, they had Don Meredith and a year later drafted Craig Morton in the first round. Meredith retired when Roger returned from the Navy. Obviously Morton was no slouch. Two SB appearances, and outstanding stats in his two undisputed years as Cowboys starter. Staubach won his first Super Bowl from off the bench, then went back to the bench to start the next year. But Roger won out.

In 1969, the Steelers chose QB Terry Hanratty with the 30th overall pick (2nd round, in the 1st round now). So naturally, they did what Jerry would do: put all of their resources into Hanratty because their credibility was tied up in him. No, of course not. They used the 1970 No. 1 pick overall on Terry Bradshaw. And late round pick Joe Gilliam was the starter at the beginning of their first SB year. They churned.

1980s 49ers
Less of a case here. But Joe Montana did beat out journeyman Steve DeBerg, who wasn't bad and led the Chiefs to playoff berths later in his career. Of course, the Commanders rotated quarterbacks. But I wouldn't recommend that strategy.

1990s Cowboys
Troy Aikman. Steve Walsh.
And obviously Steve Young joined the Niners during the Montana years.

2000s/2010s Patriots
Drew Bledsoe went to the Pro Bowl in 1994, 1996, 1997. The Patriots drafted Tom Brady in 1998. Like Staubach, Brady won a Super Bowl and went back to the bench for a short time, IIRC.

Obviously QB competition didn't destroy these guy's tender egos. It brought the best out of them.

You lost me when you mention, "...use the top 10 pick on a qb for competition." Really? How long are we going to go before we are pushing for a playoff run with a rookie QB? You want to wait another 3 years? Waist of a pick IMHO.

 

[Golfzilla77]

Walsh was never in contention for the starting job.

Jimmy may have just been playing mind games with Troy at the time, but i recall a couple of years later, Troy was absolutely livid at Jimmy because the Cowboys seemed happy to keep Beuerlein as starter (until they lost that ugly Detroit playoff game). Troy got a healthy dose of not knowing he was "the man" for his first couple of years.

 

[DandyDon52]

Watching Green Bay and Tampa Bay. Notably both quarterbacks (Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady) were drafted by teams with successful quarterbacks: Brett Favre and Drew Bledsoe.

The list below demonstrates, to me, that Romo-Friendliness and Dak-Friendliness isn't the way to go. I'm OK with keeping Dak. But I also want to use the top 10 pick on a qb for competition. And rather than look at it as an insult to him, it actually will bring him to the next level, if he has that next level in him.

Observe:

1960s Green Bay Packers
When Bart Starr was drafted by the Packers, Tobin Rote was a Pro Bowl starter. Babe Parelli, a #4 overall draft pick, was on the bench. In the AFL after leaving the Packers, Rote went on to an MVP season and Parelli became an AFL All-Star multiple times. If Tobin Rote were the Cowboys QB today, Jerry would throw money at him.

1970s Steelers and Cowboys
When the Cowboys drafted Roger Staubach, they had Don Meredith and a year later drafted Craig Morton in the first round. Meredith retired when Roger returned from the Navy. Obviously Morton was no slouch. Two SB appearances, and outstanding stats in his two undisputed years as Cowboys starter. Staubach won his first Super Bowl from off the bench, then went back to the bench to start the next year. But Roger won out.

In 1969, the Steelers chose QB Terry Hanratty with the 30th overall pick (2nd round, in the 1st round now). So naturally, they did what Jerry would do: put all of their resources into Hanratty because their credibility was tied up in him. No, of course not. They used the 1970 No. 1 pick overall on Terry Bradshaw. And late round pick Joe Gilliam was the starter at the beginning of their first SB year. They churned.

1980s 49ers
Less of a case here. But Joe Montana did beat out journeyman Steve DeBerg, who wasn't bad and led the Chiefs to playoff berths later in his career. Of course, the Commanders rotated quarterbacks. But I wouldn't recommend that strategy.

1990s Cowboys
Troy Aikman. Steve Walsh.
And obviously Steve Young joined the Niners during the Montana years.

2000s/2010s Patriots
Drew Bledsoe went to the Pro Bowl in 1994, 1996, 1997. The Patriots drafted Tom Brady in 1998. Like Staubach, Brady won a Super Bowl and went back to the bench for a short time, IIRC.

Obviously QB competition didn't destroy these guy's tender egos. It brought the best out of them.

I dont think others reading this get it lol.
Dak wasnt drafted to replace romo, but to be a bkup qb.
The jones boys dont want any competition or controversys around the qb, their method is to pick one guy, give him a ton of money and say he is the future.
Then they get old or young low level qb's to be his bkup.
Orton,the qb from detroit, and dalton are all in the old category at end of careers. And the young ones have all been 4th round or lower.

Dak only got a shot, because there was no one else ! lol Dak used voodoo dolls to injure tony and kellen, so he would get that shot.
The only reason they made dak the starter over tony later, was he had won 9 games in a row, was younger, and tony wasnt that popular with his
team mates.

But the jones boys will never encourage qb competition, thats why cowboys go to SB all the time and in playoffs just about every year!
Its all about the genius of the jones boys lol.

 

[DandyDon52]

Jimmy may have just been playing mind games with Troy at the time, but i recall a couple of years later, Troy was absolutely livid at Jimmy because the Cowboys seemed happy to keep Beuerlein as starter (until they lost that ugly Detroit playoff game). Troy got a healthy dose of not knowing he was "the man" for his first couple of years.

Jimmy just went with the hot hand, and troy played in that detroit game and he looked worse than buerlein .
Troy had not played in a good while, and was rusty, and detroit had a good defense. Also that was one game where jimmy and his staff were
just outcoached imo.

 

[OmerV]

I dont think others reading this get it lol.
Dak wasnt drafted to replace romo, but to be a bkup qb.
The jones boys dont want any competition or controversys around the qb, their method is to pick one guy, give him a ton of money and say he is the future.
Then they get old or young low level qb's to be his bkup.
Orton,the qb from detroit, and dalton are all in the old category at end of careers. And the young ones have all been 4th round or lower.

Dak only got a shot, because there was no one else ! lol Dak used voodoo dolls to injure tony and kellen, so he would get that shot.
The only reason they made dak the starter over tony later, was he had won 9 games in a row, was younger, and tony wasnt that popular with his
team mates.

But the jones boys will never encourage qb competition, thats why cowboys go to SB all the time and in playoffs just about every year!
Its all about the genius of the jones boys lol.

I think most people understand Dak was drafted as a developmental guy and not as a sure fire replacement for Romo, but that also applies to Brady and Bledsoe. Brady was drafted 2 rounds later than Dak was.

As far as the Cowboys not wanting competition, in fairness, how many other teams are bringing in QB's to compete when they have a young, established starting QB that they like? Who is Goff's competition? Who is Lamar Jackson's competition? Who is Russell Wilson's competion? Deshaun Watson? The only one that even comes to mind is Philly, who drafted Jalen Hurts in the middle of the 2nd round, and even then there was no competition until Wentz stunk up the season so badly.

We may like to play it off as uniquely a Cowboy thing, but the reality is when a team likes their starting QB, and that starter is still young enough that they aren't worried about age becoming a factor, they aren't inclined to put significant draft or financial resources into a player to compete with him.

 

[Starforever]

Watching Green Bay and Tampa Bay. Notably both quarterbacks (Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady) were drafted by teams with successful quarterbacks: Brett Favre and Drew Bledsoe.

The list below demonstrates, to me, that Romo-Friendliness and Dak-Friendliness isn't the way to go. I'm OK with keeping Dak. But I also want to use the top 10 pick on a qb for competition. And rather than look at it as an insult to him, it actually will bring him to the next level, if he has that next level in him.

Observe:

1960s Green Bay Packers
When Bart Starr was drafted by the Packers, Tobin Rote was a Pro Bowl starter. Babe Parelli, a #4 overall draft pick, was on the bench. In the AFL after leaving the Packers, Rote went on to an MVP season and Parelli became an AFL All-Star multiple times. If Tobin Rote were the Cowboys QB today, Jerry would throw money at him.

1970s Steelers and Cowboys
When the Cowboys drafted Roger Staubach, they had Don Meredith and a year later drafted Craig Morton in the first round. Meredith retired when Roger returned from the Navy. Obviously Morton was no slouch. Two SB appearances, and outstanding stats in his two undisputed years as Cowboys starter. Staubach won his first Super Bowl from off the bench, then went back to the bench to start the next year. But Roger won out.

In 1969, the Steelers chose QB Terry Hanratty with the 30th overall pick (2nd round, in the 1st round now). So naturally, they did what Jerry would do: put all of their resources into Hanratty because their credibility was tied up in him. No, of course not. They used the 1970 No. 1 pick overall on Terry Bradshaw. And late round pick Joe Gilliam was the starter at the beginning of their first SB year. They churned.

1980s 49ers
Less of a case here. But Joe Montana did beat out journeyman Steve DeBerg, who wasn't bad and led the Chiefs to playoff berths later in his career. Of course, the Commanders rotated quarterbacks. But I wouldn't recommend that strategy.

1990s Cowboys
Troy Aikman. Steve Walsh.
And obviously Steve Young joined the Niners during the Montana years.

2000s/2010s Patriots
Drew Bledsoe went to the Pro Bowl in 1994, 1996, 1997. The Patriots drafted Tom Brady in 1998. Like Staubach, Brady won a Super Bowl and went back to the bench for a short time, IIRC.

Obviously QB competition didn't destroy these guy's tender egos. It brought the best out of them.

Also remember, that Staubach/Morton fiasco, cost the Cowboys championships.

 

[DandyDon52]

I think most people understand Dak was drafted as a developmental guy and not as a sure fire replacement for Romo, but that also applies to Brady and Bledsoe. Brady was drafted 2 rounds later than Dak was.

As far as the Cowboys not wanting competition, in fairness, how many other teams are bringing in QB's to compete when they have a young, established starting QB that they like? Who is Goff's competition? Who is Lamar Jackson's competition? Who is Russell Wilson's competion? Deshaun Watson? The only one that even comes to mind is Philly, who drafted Jalen Hurts in the middle of the 2nd round, and even then there was no competition until Wentz stunk up the season so badly.

We may like to play it off as uniquely a Cowboy thing, but the reality is when a team likes their starting QB, and that starter is still young enough that they aren't worried about age becoming a factor, they aren't inclined to put significant draft or financial resources into a player to compete with him.

your right , most teams dont have qb competition, but they should. I think however jerry is really bad about this is our guy, and not play anyone else if
the guy can play hurt.
This goes way back to 70's 80's where there was some qb competition and it did not work out well , at least for the owners.

 

[pete026]

There was no competition between Brady and Bledsoe or Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre. Bledsoe was the established starter in New England. He got injured, Brady took over and never relinquished the job. Similar to what happened in Dallas when Romo got hurt, Dak over and never relinquished the job. Brett Favre was the established starter in Green Bay. The Packers decided to move on and go with Aaron Rodgers.

I agree with your statement about there never being a competition between Brady and Bledsoe but there was plenty of talk in NE about moving on from Bledsoe prior to his injury.
I had friends that had season tickets and I went to just about every home game during the 90s and early 2000s. I sat in the seat directly behind Willie McGinest's father and we had many conversations about the goings on of the Patriots. He wore one of Willies game shirts with Sr. added on it. At that time, the Patriots were on a decline from some mid-90s success and then turned it around after Belichick-Brady took over.

BTW I was at the "tuck rule" game. Had a TV set up in my workvan and we had a lobster boil while watching the early playoff game in the snow. As always, I was wearing my Cowboys hat and shirt lol.

 

[KJJ]

I agree with your statement about there never being a competition between Brady and Bledsoe but there was plenty of talk in NE about moving on from Bledsoe prior to his injury.

There wasn’t any talk about moving on from Bledsoe. He had just signed a $100 million mega deal making him the highest paid QB in the league. He was only two games into that deal.

 

[pete026]

There wasn’t any talk about moving on from Bledsoe. He had just signed a $100 million mega deal making him the highest paid QB in the league. He was only two games into that deal.

When was the contract signed? That would have been after the 2000 season.

And the injury occurred in one the the first games of the 2001 season. There was all kinds of talk prior to that contract because of the direction the team was going (ie losing). It wasn’t a guarantee they were going to stay with Bledsoe prior to the contract being signed which was prior to the injury.

 

[KJJ]

When was the contract signed? That would have been after the 2000 season.

And the injury occurred in one the the first games of the 2001 season. There was all kinds of talk prior to that contract because of the direction the team was going (ie losing). It wasn’t a guarantee they were going to stay with Bledsoe prior to the contract being signed which was prior to the injury.

Bledsoe signed a record 10 year $103 million deal in March 2001. He was injured six months later in week 2 of the 2001 season. New England had no intentions of moving on from him. His injury and Brady’s solid play in relief changed everything.

https://www.___GET_REAL_URL___/s/ww...t/hc-xpm-2001-03-08-0103082886-story,amp.html

 

[pete026]

Bledsoe signed a record 10 year $103 million deal in March 2001. He was injured six months later in week 2 of the 2001 season. New England had no intentions of moving on from him. His injury and Brady’s solid play in relief changed

Quoted right from the article:
"Bledsoe, 29, has been voted to the Pro Bowl three times and owns every Patriots passing record worth having. But when the team struggled last season, there was speculation that Kraft and Belichick were not sold on Bledsoe as their quarterback, that they were looking to trade him so they could shore up several other positions and remake the team with a younger, more mobile quarterback.

"It has never once been in my mind," Kraft said. "Sometimes, our friends in the media like to stir the pot. To help circulation, I guess."

Now what was Kraft going to say after offering the huge contract; we weren't really sure but we finally decided to give you all this money. Right!

And furthermore, the article talks about the Patriots ability to get out of the contract early. But you are free to believe what you want.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

Dak literally was drafted by a team that already had a franchise QB.


If you want to argue the cowboys should keep drafting QB’s. I’m fine with it.


Doesn’t mean to necessarily let Dak go at this point either though.

That's basically my view. Dak is looking good, but draft a QB to compete with him anyway.