Cowboys Top 5 All Time List

[Typhus]

Why would Walker run up the butt of his lineman if there was a hole to his right or left? LOL

You have a great imagination.

Emmitt looked like he had amazing vision because the hole was so big you just assumed it was his vision.

But I freely admit he had good vision. Emmitt is my favorite football player of all time. But when I got older and really learned the game, it became apparent how important the Oline was the Emmitt's success.

Emmitt had an amazing OL, his talents were the perfect fit.
Like putting racing tires on the Corvette.

 

[conner01]

3 years as compared to 6. And again............Walker had sometimes half of his yards as a receiver. The Olines were so bad with Walker they got him the ball throwing it to him.

5 years compared to 6
Check your history
Walker played here 5 years plus 5 games of a 6th year
81 games for Walker
88 games for Zeke

 

[Typhus]

5 years compared to 6
Check your history
Walker played here 5 years

Looking back at that now the time just seems so insane.

 

[john van brocklin]

Can you list and rank Best/Favorite Cowboys Top 5 All Time players at their positions ?

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/dal/lineups.htm

:Here's a Look at My Cowboys List/ Top 5 Player-Position Rankings:

QBs
1 Roger Staubach
2 Troy Aikman
3 Dak Prescott
4 Tony Romo
5 Danny White

WRs
1 Michael Irvin
2 Bob Hayes
3 Drew Pearson
4 Terrell Owens
5 Dez Bryant

Slots
1 Cole Beasley
2 Kevin martin
3 Butch Johnson
4 Kevin Williams
5 Randall cobb

Running Backs
1 Emmitt Smith
2 Tony Dorsett
3 Zeke Elliott
4 Hershel Walker
5 DeMarco Murray

Full Backs
1 Darryl Johnston
2 Robert Newhouse
3 Ron Springs
4 Don Perkins
5 Walt Garrison

Tight Ends
1 Jason Witten
2 Jay Novacek
3 Doug Cosbie
4 Billy Joe Dupree
5 Pettis Norman

Offensive Tackles
1 Rayfield Wright
2 Erik Williams
3 Tyron Smith
4 Mark Tuinei
5 Pat Donovan

Offensive Guards
1 Larry Allen
2 Zack Martin
3 Nate Newton
4 John Niland
5 Herb Scott

Centers
1 Mark Stepnoski
2 Travis Fredrick
3 Ray Donaldson
4 Andre Gurode
5 John Fitzgerald

Returners
1 Bob Hayes
2 Deion Sanders
3 Mel Renfro
4 Reggie Swinton
5 Kevin Williams

FG Kickers
1 Dan Bailey
2 Chris Bonoi
3 Nick Folk
4 Richie Cunningham
5 Rafael Septien

Punters
1 Matt McBriar
2 John Jett
3 Mike Saxon
4 Toby Gowin
5 Chris Jones

Head Coaches
1 Tom Landry
2 Jimmie Johnson
3 Jason Garrett
4 Barry Switzer
5 Wade Phillips

Offensive Coordinators
1 Tom Landry
2 Norv Turner
3 Ernie Zampese
4 Kellen Moore
5 Scott Linehan

Defensive Coordinators
1 Tom Landry
2 Ernie Stautner
3 Dave Wandsted
4 Butch Davis
5 Dan Quinn

Defensive Ends
1 Charles Haley
2 Harvey Martin
3 Ed Jones
4 DLaw
5 Tony Tolbert

Defensive Tackles
1 Bob Lilly
2 Randy White
3 Jay Ratliff
4 Jethro Pugh
5 Leon Lett

Outside LBs
1 Demarcus Ware
2 Chuck Howley
3 Dexter Coakley
4 Micah Parsons *
5 Thomas Henderson

Middle LBs
1 Lee Roy Jordan
2 Bob Breuing
3 Sean Lee
4 Ken Norton Jr.
5 Bradie James

Cornerbacks
1 Deion Sanders
2 Mel Renfro
3 Everson Walls
4 Terrence Newman
5 Herb Adderly

Safeties
1 Cliff Harris
2 Darren Woodson
3 Charlie Waters
4 Roy Williams
5 Cornell Green

Cheerleaders ? (JK)

Jimmy over Tom

 

[Typhus]

My top 5 RB…
Emmitt
TD
Walker
DeMarco Murray
Zeke

next 5…
Duane Thomas
MB
Calvin Hill
Perkins
Newhouse

Good list

 

[CowboyRoy]

5 years compared to 6
Check your history
Walker played here 5 years plus 5 games of a 6th year
81 games for Walker
88 games for Zeke

Ok and what do the numbers look like? Even more impressive for Walker.

 

[quickccc]

Jimmy over Tom

Hmm... That's big steps over the Mad Genius in the Hat,... the architect creator of the 4-3 scheme defense ..and used the shotgun formation
on a much more frequent basis in the offense than any other NFL team.

 

[quickccc]

Even though I hated it then, it was the best trade in NFL history[ /QUOTE]

And just to think Jimmie Johnson really wanted Baylor LB James Francis ... over Emmitt .

Once Cincy Bengals nabbed Francis, ..Jimmie went to Plan B, and drafted the next best player on their board,.. Emmitt.

Imagine what our season would have been if Jerry didn't up the money to re-sign hold out Emmitt after that 0-2 start ?

 

[conner01]

Ok and what do the numbers look like? Even more impressive for Walker.

Zeke has over twice the yards
That’s impressive for Walker?

 

[CowboyRoy]

Zeke has over twice the yards
That’s impressive for Walker?

Oh get the hell outta here!! Your counting the last two years of his career when he had like 120 yards when he was 40 and the year he was traded? LOL

In fairness he played 3 years for the Cowboys when he was close to prime. Even then it was his 7th, 8th, and 9th years playing football.

zeke is already washed up in his 7th season. Walker was just hitting the NFL then and played another 8 good years.

How many more years do you think Zeke plays at this rate?

 

[McKDaddy]

Walker did more then just run the ball, he caught it out of the backfield. Had really no one else on the team and everyone knew Walker was getting the ball.

When it comes to pure talent, Herschel Walker is one of the best RB's of all time.

Walker put up over 2000 yards from scrimmage one year for us.

It's highly uninformed when folks dismiss Walker as if he were just some marginal back. Truly one of the special athletes of the 20th century. I contend that his 88 season was arguably the finest season a RB has ever produced given the circumstances.

Herschel Walker played 12 seasons for 4 teams, including the Cowboys and Eagles. He had 1,954 carries for 8,225 yards, 512 catches for 4,859 yards and scored 84 touchdowns. He was selected to play in 2 Pro Bowls.

How much better would his career have been if not traded to the Vikings where he wasted away for a while for a coach who was mad about the trade & wouldn't play him?

 

[quickccc]

It's highly uninformed when folks dismiss Walker as if he were just some marginal back. Truly one of the special athletes of the 20th century. I contend that his 88 season was arguably the finest season a RB has ever produced given the circumstances.

Herschel Walker played 12 seasons for 4 teams, including the Cowboys and Eagles. He had 1,954 carries for 8,225 yards, 512 catches for 4,859 yards and scored 84 touchdowns. He was selected to play in 2 Pro Bowls.

How much better would his career have been if not traded to the Vikings where he wasted away for a while for a coach who was mad about the trade & wouldn't play him?

Oddly i don't remember Hershel returning to the Cowboys to finish out his NFL career.
Both Emmitt and Hershel in the same RB unit, ..same roster ?

https://www.upi.com/Archives/1996/07/11/Walker-returns-to-Cowboys/7569837057600/

https://vault.si.com/vault/1996/08/...ve-humbled-by-the-many-hard-hits-he-has-taken[/QUOTE]

 

[quickccc]

It's highly uninformed when folks dismiss Walker as if he were just some marginal back. Truly one of the special athletes of the 20th century. I contend that his 88 season was arguably the finest season a RB has ever produced given the circumstances.

Herschel Walker played 12 seasons for 4 teams, including the Cowboys and Eagles. He had 1,954 carries for 8,225 yards, 512 catches for 4,859 yards and scored 84 touchdowns. He was selected to play in 2 Pro Bowls.

How much better would his career have been if not traded to the Vikings where he wasted away for a while for a coach who was mad about the trade & wouldn't play him?

Depends upon other NFL teams that had the big interest in Walker and how they could best tailor and scheme to his strengths while minimizing his limitations.
Especially for an athlete that was one of the fastest players in the NFL during his time era.

 

[ghst187]

Garrett number 3 is one of the dumbest takes I have ever read. I mean beyond stupid. 10 years. 2 playoff wins. Stars across the roster. That moron did nothing. How bad was he? Well at a prime coaching age the guy is calling USFL games.

agree…I’d put Dave Campo, Wade P., and Chan Gailey above JG.
Also put Herschel Walker over Zeke.

 

[conner01]

Oh get the hell outta here!! Your counting the last two years of his career when he had like 120 yards when he was 40 and the year he was traded? LOL

In fairness he played 3 years for the Cowboys when he was close to prime. Even then it was his 7th, 8th, and 9th years playing football.

zeke is already washed up in his 7th season. Walker was just hitting the NFL then and played another 8 good years.

How many more years do you think Zeke plays at this rate?

In fairness you only count a part of his career lol
Walker was late in starting his career but top 5 cowboys players to me doesn’t count their career in another league or another team
So let’s look at your scenario
In the 3 years Walker was here, forgetting about the other two years.
First 3 year Zeke still had more yards rushing than Walker did. In no way was Walker a better running back as a cowboy than Zeke
Even if you twist his career here to match a narrative
Walker 2778 yds 24 TD
Zeke 4048 28 TD
Just using your first 3 years

 

[john van brocklin]

Hmm... That's big steps over the Mad Genius in the Hat,... the architect creator of the 4-3 scheme defense ..and used the shotgun formation
on a much more frequent basis in the offense than any other NFL team.

That's a tough one.
Jimmy won 2 SBs in his 5 years.
Took Tom 29 years to win 2 SBs.
That was what I was thinking.
Love me some Landry though!!!

 

[OmerV]

Are the QB rankings based on stats alone? That has to be the case for him to even be considered for a list like this. He doesn't deserve to be on on it otherwise, and neither does Romo.

And yes, like what was said above, ranking Garrett that high is a massive insult. Switzer sucked, but he had far more playoff wins and a super bowl championship.

Who is "him"?

 

[fivetwos]

Can you list and rank Best/Favorite Cowboys Top 5 All Time players at their positions ?

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/dal/lineups.htm

:Here's a Look at My Cowboys List/ Top 5 Player-Position Rankings:

QBs
1 Roger Staubach
2 Troy Aikman
3 Dak Prescott
4 Tony Romo
5 Danny White

WRs
1 Michael Irvin
2 Bob Hayes
3 Drew Pearson
4 Terrell Owens
5 Dez Bryant

Slots
1 Cole Beasley
2 Kevin martin
3 Butch Johnson
4 Kevin Williams
5 Randall cobb

Running Backs
1 Emmitt Smith
2 Tony Dorsett
3 Zeke Elliott
4 Hershel Walker
5 DeMarco Murray

Full Backs
1 Darryl Johnston
2 Robert Newhouse
3 Ron Springs
4 Don Perkins
5 Walt Garrison

Tight Ends
1 Jason Witten
2 Jay Novacek
3 Doug Cosbie
4 Billy Joe Dupree
5 Pettis Norman

Offensive Tackles
1 Rayfield Wright
2 Erik Williams
3 Tyron Smith
4 Mark Tuinei
5 Pat Donovan

Offensive Guards
1 Larry Allen
2 Zack Martin
3 Nate Newton
4 John Niland
5 Herb Scott

Centers
1 Mark Stepnoski
2 Travis Fredrick
3 Ray Donaldson
4 Andre Gurode
5 John Fitzgerald

Returners
1 Bob Hayes
2 Deion Sanders
3 Mel Renfro
4 Reggie Swinton
5 Kevin Williams

FG Kickers
1 Dan Bailey
2 Chris Bonoi
3 Nick Folk
4 Richie Cunningham
5 Rafael Septien

Punters
1 Matt McBriar
2 John Jett
3 Mike Saxon
4 Toby Gowin
5 Chris Jones

Head Coaches
1 Tom Landry
2 Jimmie Johnson
3 Jason Garrett
4 Barry Switzer
5 Wade Phillips

Offensive Coordinators
1 Tom Landry
2 Norv Turner
3 Ernie Zampese
4 Kellen Moore
5 Scott Linehan

Defensive Coordinators
1 Tom Landry
2 Ernie Stautner
3 Dave Wandsted
4 Butch Davis
5 Dan Quinn

Defensive Ends
1 Charles Haley
2 Harvey Martin
3 Ed Jones
4 DLaw
5 Tony Tolbert

Defensive Tackles
1 Bob Lilly
2 Randy White
3 Jay Ratliff
4 Jethro Pugh
5 Leon Lett

Outside LBs
1 Demarcus Ware
2 Chuck Howley
3 Dexter Coakley
4 Micah Parsons *
5 Thomas Henderson

Middle LBs
1 Lee Roy Jordan
2 Bob Breuing
3 Sean Lee
4 Ken Norton Jr.
5 Bradie James

Cornerbacks
1 Deion Sanders
2 Mel Renfro
3 Everson Walls
4 Terrence Newman
5 Herb Adderly

Safeties
1 Cliff Harris
2 Darren Woodson
3 Charlie Waters
4 Roy Williams
5 Cornell Green

Cheerleaders ? (JK)

Cool post. Thanks. I think you nailed it for the most part, and I didn't read everyone's replies.

Other than a flip flop here and there, if it were me...

Lockhart should be among the MLB.

Maybe Michael Downs over RW but I wouldn't pound the table over it.

The one thing that stood out the most IMO.....Ratliff is way too high on the DT list. Guys like Larry Cole or John Dutton should be there before him.

I never saw Bob Hayes play, but if he was a better returner than Prime.....wow!

 

[tyke1doe]

Jimmy over Tom

It's almost sacrilegious to say, but even though I think Tom was overall the better innovator, Jimmy was the better game-day coach.

Landry left at least two Super Bowl wins on the field by not starting Roger Staubach sooner and not developing the game plan around Tony Dorsett in Super Bowl 13.
I remember reading or hearing the Steeler saying that they couldn't stop Tony Dorsett, but Landry tried to preserve Dorsett by giving him as few carries as possible. But when you have that much speed, you have to unleash it on the field.

Tom was from the old school of hierarchy, i.e., I'm going to play the players who were here first versus the more talented player who has to wait his turn.
Jimmy just wanted to win. All that hierarchy and earn your dues stuff came secondary to who gives me the best chance to win.

Loved me some Landry, and he was an excellent role model. But on game day? I'm taking Jimmy Johnson.

 

[quickccc]

Cool post. Thanks. I think you nailed it for the most part, and I didn't read everyone's replies.

Other than a flip flop here and there, if it were me...

Lockhart should be among the MLB.

Maybe Michael Downs over RW but I wouldn't pound the table over it.

The one thing that stood out the most IMO.....Ratliff is way too high on the DT list. Guys like Larry Cole or John Dutton should be there before him.

I never saw Bob Hayes play, but if he was a better returner than Prime.....wow!

- i went back and forth with Michael Irvin vs Bob Hayes .. but deciding factors played into it.

- Irvin not only dominated even HOF' corners like Darrell Green, Aneas Williams, Rod Woodson, but he was as inspirational and emotional
leader as i've ever seen in a Cowboys career. When he talked- the entire team listened. He set the tone.
We simply were never even close to same once he got injured and retired.

- i also never saw Bullet Bob Hayes play in person, but his frightening speed revolutionized the game with how zone coverage had to be implement to deal with him.
so it's based off highlights, and hear say. - And i strongly prefer ranking players i've seen play.

- John Dutton was merely a run stopper, and just serviceable like at that. Not warranted the No.1 pick we gave up for him.
He wasn't a Dave Butz vs run difference maker.
Ratliff undersized as he was as a NT, was constantly double teamed ...and yet still splitting that double team.
Reluctance to move to DE, and permanent NT work eventually wore him out.
I would've placed Lai Glover before Dutton and Cole.

- Roy Williams in his first two years playing along side his mentor Darren Woodson, was the most intimidating fear factor and playmaker
we've ever had at safety during my time of watching the Cowboys, ditto with the entire NFL. WRs were actually pulling up over the middle because
they were that frightened of Roy's brutal hitting ability. Plus Williams was a ball hawk INT guy as well.
when it came to run support, hard tackling, blitzing, and INTs, i thought he was head and shoulders over a Mike Downs.
.