An embarassment of talent over the years

[Eddie]

Legend has it that coakley can still fetch a 3rd in a trade.

Those were the good ole days in the DMN Forum. But it was a 4th rounder. We never offered a 3rd rounder.

 

[DenCWBY]

You got Lett and Maryland as starters over Lilly and White?

Good point, nope those tackles are not in any kind of order as starters.

 

[Irvin88_4life]

Good point, nope those tackles are not in any kind of order as starters.

They are good starters but Lilly and White are both better, both are hall of Fame

 

[foofighters]

We know we're spoiled, but it is truly amazing the talent that has donned the star over the years. Compared to other teams, it's simply not fair, with the exception of a handful of teams like the Steelers or 49ers.

Not every position shines, but just look at the drafted (or undrafted) players at each position that have come through here...

QB: Romo, Aikman, White, Staubach, Meredith
RB: (Elliott), Murray, Emmitt, Dorsett, Herschel, Thomas, Garrison, Hill, Perkins
WR: Dez, Irvin, Pearson, Hill, Hayes
TE: Witten, Novacek, Cosbie, Dupree
T: Smith, Adams, Williams, Tuinei, Wright, Donovan, Neely
G: Martin, Collins, Allen, Newton, Scott, Nye
C: Frederick, Stepnoski, Fitzgerald
DE: Ware, Haley, Jeffcoat, Martin, Jones
DT: Ratliff, Lett, Maryland, White, Pugh, Lilly
LB: Lee, Coakley, D Smith, Norton, Lockhart, Jordan, Lewis, Howley
S: Washington, Woodson, Downs, Harris, Waters
CB: Newman, Smith, Walls, Renfro, Barnes

I'm sure I'm forgetting some, and that doesn't even include the guys that came through as free agents like Glover, Dutton, Donaldson, Owens, Galloway, or Deion.

Recent drafts are promising, too, after a dark period of nothingness for a decade. A big challenge looms trying to find the next elite QB.

It's a good list. I would not put Murray in the same sentence as Smith and Dorsett ever.

Also, I can't believe someone added MBIII and Miles. lol.

 

[LandryFan]

Pretty sure Novacek was a Cardinal briefly, before Dallas. I'd put Dupree up there though.
Tuinei was also a free agent, originally a d lineman. I want to say Big Nate as well.

Wasn't Pearson a UDFA? Dez is at least in the conversation, even though I grew up on Staubach-to-Pearson.

I'd always go with D. White as the punter. Position flex, don't you know?

Yep, Novacek was a "Plan B" FA pickup.

 

[CrownCowboy]

No Dat Nguyen on the lists?

You boys should be ashamed of yourselves. LOL

 

[bark]

You got Lett and Maryland as starters over Lilly and White?

I got a chuckle out of that one too. Lett and Maryland were good players, but lily and white are all timers

 

[MichaelValentino]

We know we're spoiled, but it is truly amazing the talent that has donned the star over the years. Compared to other teams, it's simply not fair, with the exception of a handful of teams like the Steelers or 49ers.

Not every position shines, but just look at the drafted (or undrafted) players at each position that have come through here...

QB: Romo, Aikman, White, Staubach, Meredith
RB: (Elliott), Murray, Emmitt, Dorsett, Herschel, Thomas, Garrison, Hill, Perkins
WR: Dez, Irvin, Pearson, Hill, Hayes
TE: Witten, Novacek, Cosbie, Dupree
T: Smith, Adams, Williams, Tuinei, Wright, Donovan, Neely
G: Martin, Collins, Allen, Newton, Scott, Nye
C: Frederick, Stepnoski, Fitzgerald
DE: Ware, Haley, Jeffcoat, Martin, Jones
DT: Ratliff, Lett, Maryland, White, Pugh, Lilly
LB: Lee, Coakley, D Smith, Norton, Lockhart, Jordan, Lewis, Howley
S: Washington, Woodson, Downs, Harris, Waters
CB: Newman, Smith, Walls, Renfro, Barnes

I'm sure I'm forgetting some, and that doesn't even include the guys that came through as free agents like Glover, Dutton, Donaldson, Owens, Galloway, or Deion.

Recent drafts are promising, too, after a dark period of nothingness for a decade. A big challenge looms trying to find the next elite QB.

Thanks for this thread, erod. Interestingly, not long ago I was looking at the all-time lineups for some of the league's storied franchises: GB, Chicago, Pittsburgh, SF, Baltimore, Miami, the Raiders, the Rams and the Cowboys.

What I found was that the only team with an all-time starting 22 that truly equals the Cowboys is the Steelers. Even the other teams with a long history of great teams and HOFers, like the Bears, Packers or Colts, would not field a team as strong on the LOS as the Cowboys would be on both sides of the ball. And the Cowboys skill position players would also rank with the best of any team as your list above attests.

The Steelers all-time defense would be sick, and it would take an amazing offense to score on them. And their O-line would be so good that Dermonti Dawson would not start at C; he'd have to move to guard next to Webster. Still, I think the Cowboys and Raiders would probably produce the two greatest O-lines of all time. And the Cowboys all-time front four would be top three as well.

To your list I would include John Niland at guard. I also don't think Benny Barnes was anything special at corner; he was above average at best. At LB, if he had kept clean, I think Thomas Henderson would have been an all-time great. I still don't think I've ever seen a LB with his speed, athleticism and physicality - well, perhaps Lawrence Taylor but LT could not run a 4.4. Another troubled Cowboy who had the talent to be in Canton was Duane Thomas. He really should have ended up next to Dorsett and Emmitt in the HOF.

It really has been an embarrassment of riches. Unfortunately, much of it seems like ancient history as the Cowboys have been little more than the Browns or Lions the past 20 years.

 

[Silverstar]

C Tom Rafferty
LB Bob Breunig

Don't forget Daryl Johnston and even Bill Bates too

 

[mrmojo]

C Tom Rafferty
LB Bob Breunig

Don't forget Daryl Johnston and even Bill Bates too

C Dave Manders, John Fitzgerald
LB Tom Henderson

 

[Risen Star]

It's embarrassing how talented we always are.

 

[erod]

Thanks for this thread, erod. Interestingly, not long ago I was looking at the all-time lineups for some of the league's storied franchises: GB, Chicago, Pittsburgh, SF, Baltimore, Miami, the Raiders, the Rams and the Cowboys.

What I found was that the only team with an all-time starting 22 that truly equals the Cowboys is the Steelers. Even the other teams with a long history of great teams and HOFers, like the Bears, Packers or Colts, would not field a team as strong on the LOS as the Cowboys would be on both sides of the ball. And the Cowboys skill position players would also rank with the best of any team as your list above attests.

The Steelers all-time defense would be sick, and it would take an amazing offense to score on them. And their O-line would be so good that Dermonti Dawson would not start at C; he'd have to move to guard next to Webster. Still, I think the Cowboys and Raiders would probably produce the two greatest O-lines of all time. And the Cowboys all-time front four would be top three as well.

To your list I would include John Niland at guard. I also don't think Benny Barnes was anything special at corner; he was above average at best. At LB, if he had kept clean, I think Thomas Henderson would have been an all-time great. I still don't think I've ever seen a LB with his speed, athleticism and physicality - well, perhaps Lawrence Taylor but LT could not run a 4.4. Another troubled Cowboy who had the talent to be in Canton was Duane Thomas. He really should have ended up next to Dorsett and Emmitt in the HOF.

It really has been an embarrassment of riches. Unfortunately, much of it seems like ancient history as the Cowboys have been little more than the Browns or Lions the past 20 years.

Henderson was an oversight, and I would agree on Niland. Guys like Newhouse, Butch Johnson, Tolbert, Cole, Moose, Kevin Burnett....there's just been so much talent here.

And then there's the second-hand guys like Preston Pearson, La'Roi Glover, Deion Sanders, Cornell Green, John Dutton, Joey Galloway, Ray Donaldson, Lance Alworth, Craig Morton, and others. I consider Novacek ours because he was a castoff who hadn't done a thing until he got here.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

Coakley was a 3 time pro bowler and a heck of a playmaker . Seemed like this guy would score 1-2 Td's per season. He had 7 straight 100 tackle seasons.

I missed all the threads about trading him that must have spawned this joking about him all the time but every time I see it I really get the feeling like the fans here don't remember that he was a pretty damn good player.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

No Dat Nguyen on the lists?

You boys should be ashamed of yourselves. LOL

Honestly one of my all time favorite picks during my life time. I was a huge fan of Nguyen in college and I was thrilled when Dallas got him.

I know he wasn't a Hall of Fame player but I always thought he was a darn good player, worked his butt off, and was fun to watch.

 

[Crazed Liotta Eyes]

Nice to see 'Mean Gene the Hitting Machine" Lockhart on the list. One of the only players worth watching on some pretty bad Cowboy teams. I'll never forget Pat Summerall late in a game, after he and Madden were pretty well oiled up, calling him 'Gene Gene the Lockhart'.

 

[CrownCowboy]

Honestly one of my all time favorite picks during my life time. I was a huge fan of Nguyen in college and I was thrilled when Dallas got him.

I know he wasn't a Hall of Fame player but I always thought he was a darn good player, worked his butt off, and was fun to watch.

Oh I agree.

I liked watching him play. 100% effort and played with heart.