Cowboys All-Time Ranking Of Top 10 Undrafted Free Agents From Tony Romo To Drew Pearson

[gtb1943]

Name a better undrafted QB outside of Kurt Warner. You can’t. The next best is probably Warren Moon.

I didn’t call him the greatest QB ever. Just one of the greatest undrafted QBs ever.

Hate him however much you want, his career achievements are incredible given how much of an unknown he was coming out of college.

The haters of any player will never admit they are wrong. I try and not hate but its hard to do. I want to hate Dak sometimes but he does not deserve it; just like Romo did not deserve it.
Both had Jethro on their backs and that millstone is too much to overcome by any QB

 

[SultanOfSix]

He was a choker who couldn't even get a 13-3 one seed past the divisional playoff round.

At least he “choked” on the last play of the game to a team on fire that beat arguably the GOAT QB and one of the most prolific offenses ever in the NFL in SB that year. I guess Brady was the definition of choker that year too.

If you’re going to call every player that doesn’t win the SB or go far in the playoffs a choker (dumbing down its definition), then the league is filled with chokers in this league, including this team’s current starting QB who is far worse and more legitimate of one.

 

[SuspectCorner]

According to PFF:

QUARTERBACK: TONY ROMO (86.8)​

Honorable Mention: Kurt Warner (77.5)​

Thirteen undrafted quarterbacks have attempted 500 or more passes in the PFF era, and Romo leads the pack — including Hall of Famer Kurt Warner — in overall grade.

Romo didn't earn a season grade below 65.0 from 2006 to 2014, and he recorded 152 more big-time throws than the next-highest-ranked undrafted quarterback, Case Keenum.

https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-highes... Gates crushes the pack,2 undrafted tight end.

 

[gtb1943]

According to PFF:

QUARTERBACK: TONY ROMO (86.8)​

Honorable Mention: Kurt Warner (77.5)​

Thirteen undrafted quarterbacks have attempted 500 or more passes in the PFF era, and Romo leads the pack — including Hall of Famer Kurt Warner — in overall grade.

Romo didn't earn a season grade below 65.0 from 2006 to 2014, and he recorded 152 more big-time throws than the next-highest-ranked undrafted quarterback, Case Keenum.

https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-highest-graded-undrafted-player-every-position-pff-era#:~:text=Tony Romo is the highest,begun in the PFF era.&text=Antonio Gates crushes the pack,2 undrafted tight end.

PFF meh

As much as I love Romo, I would not pick him over Warner.

 

[SuspectCorner]

PFF meh

As much as I love Romo, I would not pick him over Warner.

No problem here. Finding a UDFA QB and having him become your franchise record holder for passing yards, completions, and passing TDs is good enough for me.

 

[gtb1943]

Sad to say that Boys advantage in finding so many like that in its first ten to fifteen years as a franchise disappeared as more teams figured out what we were doing and did the same.

 

[Chasing6]

Mark Tuinei was the starting LT on 3 Super Bowl winning teams.

How could Bill Bates possibly rank higher than Tuinei?

Does Brandon Aubrey count as a UDFA?

Aubrey should just be in a kicker category.

 

[DallasEast]

Decided to offer an opinion on the list in a different way. I assigned points for career achievements to each player, such as:

• Hall of Fame enshrinement (50 points)
• All-Pro selection (20 points each)
• All-Decade selection (15 points each)
• Super Bowl Championship (10 points each/Lower on the point-scale since it is a team accomplishment)
• Pro Bowl (5 points each/not as critically valued as 'all-pro' or 'all-decade' selections)

Note: Hypothetically, each player could net 100 points (50+20+15+10+5) if they accomplished one of each.

The above achievements were borrowed from pro-football-reference. The site attaches them to each player's statistical page.

The point system is completely subjective. I attributed points relative to their importance in my opinion (Hall of Fame better than All-Pro, All-Pro better than All-Decade, etc.). Here is how each player ranks according to this totally made-up point system:

Undrafted Player	Hall of Fame	All-Pro	All-Decade Team	Super Bowl Championship	Pro Bowl	Total Points
Cliff Harris	1​	3​	1​	2​	6​	175​
Drew Pearson	1​	3​	1​	1​	3​	150​
Nate Newton		2​		3​	6​	100​
Cornell Green		2​		1​	5​	75​
Bill Bates		1​		3​		50​
Everson Walls		1​		1​	4​	50​
Mark Tuinei				3​	2​	40​
Dave Manders		1​		1​		30​
Dan Bailey		1​				20​
Tony Romo					4​	20​

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PearDr00.htm
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HarrCl00.htm
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GreeCo00.htm
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/RomoTo00.htm
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WallEv00.htm
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/N/NewtNa00.htm
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BateBi00.htm
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/T/TuinMa00.htm
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BailDa00.htm
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MandDa00.htm

 

[ShiningStar]

At least he “choked” on the last play of the game to a team on fire that beat arguably the GOAT QB and one of the most prolific offenses ever in the NFL in SB that year. I guess Brady was the definition of choker that year too.

If you’re going to call every player that doesn’t win the SB or go far in the playoffs a choker (dumbing down its definition), then the league is filled with chokers in this league, including this team’s current starting QB who is far worse and more legitimate of one.

a great response to a very poor post.

if you want to know how to beat an opinion with fact, this is a good lesson.

 

[Kingofholland]

What metric are you using? I kinda agree with you on Walls but no way Newton or Bates accomplished as much as Romo. Besides Romo gets extra markers for positional challenges IMO.

Agree 100%, to become a multi time pro bowler at QB and the Cowboys all-time passing leader I would say deserves more kudos than a special team's player and guard.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

Agree 100%, to become a multi time pro bowler at QB and the Cowboys all-time passing leader I would say deserves more kudos than a special team's player and guard.

Exactly.......

 

[ArtClink]

Pretty good list. Biggest thing that stuck out to me was the lack of players from recent years. Only one (Bailey) in the last 20 years? Oh, Jerry that's right.

Over the decades, under Tex Schramm, Tom Landry and Gil Brandt, the Cowboys have found UDFA gems, an effort that continued under Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson and still continues today.
Richie Whitt
Dec 20, 2024

FRISCO - No team in the NFL can match the rich history of the Dallas Cowboys when it comes to signing undrafted free agents ... and working with them to develop the UDFAs into stardom.

Running back Rico Dowdle is presently making his case to appear somewhere on that list, with coach Mike McCarthy noting that the 2024 roster is dotted with so many UDFAs that is proves "we kick (expletive) in the eight round.''

10. Dave Manders
9. Dan Bailey
8. Mark Tuinei
7. Bill Bates
6. Nate Newton
5. Everson Walls
4. Tony Romo
3. Cornell Green
2. Cliff Harris
1. Drew Pearson

https://athlonsports.com/nfl/dallas...drafted-free-agents-tony-romo-to-drew-pearson

Romo is too high on this list. Almost all the other guys won a divisional playoff game lol.

 

[RS12]

Sad to say that Boys advantage in finding so many like that in its first ten to fifteen years as a franchise disappeared as more teams figured out what we were doing and did the same.

Remember many broadcasts back in the day where they talked about the Cowboys being the first team to use computers for scouting and personnel. Dandy Don Meredith crediting Ermal Allen for the player personnel success. Yeah those days where they were cutting edge and creative leaders in personnel are long gone. Back then they werent a marketing organization that "oh by the way" plays football.

 

[gtb1943]

Romo is too high on this list. Almost all the other guys won a divisional playoff game lol.

dumb post is being kind

 

[gtb1943]

Decided to offer an opinion on the list in a different way. I assigned points for career achievements to each player, such as:

• Hall of Fame enshrinement (50 points)
• All-Pro selection (20 points each)
• All-Decade selection (15 points each)
• Super Bowl Championship (10 points each/Lower on the point-scale since it is a team accomplishment)
• Pro Bowl (5 points each/not as critically valued as 'all-pro' or 'all-decade' selections)

Note: Hypothetically, each player could net 100 points (50+20+15+10+5) if they accomplished one of each.

The above achievements were borrowed from pro-football-reference. The site attaches them to each player's statistical page.

The point system is completely subjective. I attributed points relative to their importance in my opinion (Hall of Fame better than All-Pro, All-Pro better than All-Decade, etc.). Here is how each player ranks according to this totally made-up point system:

Undrafted Player	Hall of Fame	All-Pro	All-Decade Team	Super Bowl Championship	Pro Bowl	Total Points
Cliff Harris	1​	3​	1​	2​	6​	175​
Drew Pearson	1​	3​	1​	1​	3​	150​
Nate Newton		2​		3​	6​	100​
Cornell Green		2​		1​	5​	75​
Bill Bates		1​		3​		50​
Everson Walls		1​		1​	4​	50​
Mark Tuinei				3​	2​	40​
Dave Manders		1​		1​		30​
Dan Bailey		1​				20​
Tony Romo					4​	20​

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PearDr00.htm
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HarrCl00.htm
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GreeCo00.htm
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/RomoTo00.htm
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WallEv00.htm
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/N/NewtNa00.htm
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BateBi00.htm
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/T/TuinMa00.htm
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BailDa00.htm
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MandDa00.htm

I found other sources that say Cornell Green got 3 First Team ALL Pros and 1 Second team

 

[big dog cowboy]

I found other sources that say Cornell Green got 3 First Team ALL Pros and 1 Second team

Good catch. I found the same thing.

 

[DallasEast]

I found other sources that say Cornell Green got 3 First Team ALL Pros and 1 Second team

Bold> Thanks for pointing this out because I love good mysteries! I was first surprised pro-football-reference.com got something wrong. There is nothing (I found) explaining how they add up All-Pro awards. They should correct that.

Their site is pretty meticulous with its data, so I re-checked their page for Cornell Green (link). First, I double-checked the all-pro tag (see #1 below). As I referenced before, PFR states Green got two first team all-pro selections.

Next, I checked his awards column for defensive performance (see #2 below). It corroborated his 1966 and 1967 first team Associated Press selections but not for 1971.

Then, I scrolled down to his page's All-Pro awards breakdown (see #3 below). It clearly lists Green receiving the AP's first team All-Conference All-Pro award that year.

The obvious contradiction puzzled me for awhile. Why would PFR omit an award in its total when it recorded the AP giving Green three All-Conference accolades? That's when a hypothetical answer popped into my head.

The NFL and AFL were two separate leagues before merging in 1970. For data purposes, it is likely PFR indexed the two leagues as conferences even though they were not conferences. The site may have kept the same indexing parameter after the two leagues merged into one, combining the American Football Conference and National Football Conference.

This assumption required more confirmation and digging. I found All-Pro data for 1971 on Wikipedia (link) and ProFootballArchives.com (link). Wikipedia listed AP's first-team All-Pro cornerback picks as Jimmy Johnson (49ers) and Willie Brown (Raiders).

PFA's breakdown was more specific. It lists All-NFL, All-AFC, and All-NFC teams. PFA's AP All-NFL cornerback selections were Johnson and Brown--along with All-AFC's Brown (again) and All-NFC's Johnson (again) and Green's teammate, Mel Renfro. Green did receive AP recognition on its All-NFC team at safety.

Sure enough, PFR lists double first team AP All-Pro selections for both Johnson (link) and Brown (link) for 1971! However, both players' award designations lists one as 'All-Conference' and the other as blank.

In summary, this is why I believe PFR recognizes Green's two out of three AP first team All-Pro awards. AP attributes his league level awards for 1966 and 1967 but does not do the same for this conference level (not All-NFL) award for 1971.

 

[Cowboysheelsreds053]

Pretty good list. Biggest thing that stuck out to me was the lack of players from recent years. Only one (Bailey) in the last 20 years? Oh, Jerry that's right.

Over the decades, under Tex Schramm, Tom Landry and Gil Brandt, the Cowboys have found UDFA gems, an effort that continued under Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson and still continues today.
Richie Whitt
Dec 20, 2024

FRISCO - No team in the NFL can match the rich history of the Dallas Cowboys when it comes to signing undrafted free agents ... and working with them to develop the UDFAs into stardom.

Running back Rico Dowdle is presently making his case to appear somewhere on that list, with coach Mike McCarthy noting that the 2024 roster is dotted with so many UDFAs that is proves "we kick (expletive) in the eight round.''

10. Dave Manders
9. Dan Bailey
8. Mark Tuinei
7. Bill Bates
6. Nate Newton
5. Everson Walls
4. Tony Romo
3. Cornell Green
2. Cliff Harris
1. Drew Pearson

https://athlonsports.com/nfl/dallas...drafted-free-agents-tony-romo-to-drew-pearson

Some on this list deserve to be in the HOF.

 

[ArtClink]

dumb post is being kind

All hail Romo the most overrated player in Dallas pro sports history. “All hat and no cattle” as they say.