Creating the all-time Dallas Cowboys 53-man roster: Offense and Defense

[TwistedL0g1k]

I'm old enough to have watched Staubach play. What a great player and great man. Aikman was the better QB, and it's not even close.

 

[Bobhaze]

T.O. Needs to be on this, he’s top 3 all time… I’d take Hayes out for him.

Really? Terrell Owens was a great player and deserving of his HOF honors. But he played in Dallas 3 seasons, and won 1 playoff game here.

Bob Hayes was here a decade, changed pro football forever causing the introduction of zone defenses, and was a part of winning 8 playoff games, 2 NFC championships and a Super Bowl.

 

[kskboys]

Really? Terrell Owens was a great player and deserving of his HOF honors. But he played in Dallas 3 seasons, and won 1 playoff game here.

Bob Hayes was here a decade, changed pro football forever causing the introduction of zone defenses, and was a part of winning 8 playoff games, 2 NFC championships and a Super Bowl.

Hayes over TO, and it's not even remotely close.

 

[chagus]

Imagine Dorsett behind that line.

 

[DallasEast]

I'm old enough to have watched Staubach play. What a great player and great man. Aikman was the better QB, and it's not even close.

Opinions can differ. I watched both quarterbacks also and believe Staubach was the better quarterback but concede the margin between both players leans more towards close than large.

 

[Bobhaze]

I'm old enough to have watched Staubach play. What a great player and great man. Aikman was the better QB, and it's not even close.

Troy Aikman is still in my book the most accurate passer I’ve ever seen. An incredible talent with a competitive drive to win.

But here’s why I think Roger Staubach was better. He did not have the arm strength Aikman had and was actually a lot smaller too. But Roger had that intangible ability to lead a team to victory no matter how bleak it was on the scoreboard. He was like Joe Montana in that regard. Just a straight up winner. He was an incredibly mobile QB who could turn disaster into a touchdown.

Both Troy and Roger are HOF QBs because of this quality of greatness: They played their best games in the biggest moments - in the playoffs.

 

[gtb1943]

Troy Aikman is still in my book the most accurate passer I’ve ever seen. An incredible talent with a competitive drive to win.

But here’s why I think Roger Staubach was better. He did not have the arm strength Aikman had and was actually a lot smaller too. But Roger had that intangible ability to lead a team to victory no matter how bleak it was on the scoreboard. He was like Joe Montana in that regard. Just a straight up winner. He was an incredibly mobile QB who could turn disaster into a touchdown.

Both Troy and Roger are HOF QBs because of this quality of greatness: They played their best games in the biggest moments - in the playoffs.

I too would pick Roger for that reason; but I would be quite happy to have Troy at his peak as well.

sad thing about Roger was that he had those three years lost to the Navy. So by the time he was ready to start, he was already pushing 28. who knows what he could have become if he had those three years.

 

[MyFairLady]

Jay Ratliff good lord. D Ware and Parsons are not linebackers. Such nonsense.

 

[Setackin]

Really? Terrell Owens was a great player and deserving of his HOF honors. But he played in Dallas 3 seasons, and won 1 playoff game here.

Bob Hayes was here a decade, changed pro football forever causing the introduction of zone defenses, and was a part of winning 8 playoff games, 2 NFC championships and a Super Bowl.

All team accolades. T.O. Is a far superior WR.

 

[MyFairLady]

Not saying it should be TO but his 3 year stretch in Dallas was insane. So productive and equally entertaining. All world athlete that never could put the team first. A true modern day Dallas Cowboy if ever there was one.

 

[MyFairLady]

Pearson should be on the list as well. Over CeeDee if need be. Choosing between Aikman and Staubach is a tough call and to each their own but IMHO Troy is the Greek God of quarterbacks.

 

[Big D]

Really? Terrell Owens was a great player and deserving of his HOF honors. But he played in Dallas 3 seasons, and won 1 playoff game here.

Bob Hayes was here a decade, changed pro football forever causing the introduction of zone defenses, and was a part of winning 8 playoff games, 2 NFC championships and a Super Bowl.

And, if I remember correctly, was the certified fastest man on the planet at the time as well.

 

[kskboys]

Troy Aikman is still in my book the most accurate passer I’ve ever seen. An incredible talent with a competitive drive to win.

But here’s why I think Roger Staubach was better. He did not have the arm strength Aikman had and was actually a lot smaller too. But Roger had that intangible ability to lead a team to victory no matter how bleak it was on the scoreboard. He was like Joe Montana in that regard. Just a straight up winner. He was an incredibly mobile QB who could turn disaster into a touchdown.

Both Troy and Roger are HOF QBs because of this quality of greatness: They played their best games in the biggest moments - in the playoffs.

And Staubach wins 4 super bowls if not for some incredibly bad calls on PI.

 

[kskboys]

Jay Ratliff good lord. D Ware and Parsons are not linebackers. Such nonsense.

It's best to distinguish by calling them edge rushers vs interior rushers.

 

[Bobhaze]

And, if I remember correctly, was the certified fastest man on the planet at the time as well.

Yeah and ”Bullet” Bob Hayes is the only athlete in history to win both an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl ring.

 

[irishline]

Neither. Realist who understands how good Jeffcoat was. You're either his brother or an old timer who lives in the past!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If sacks were an official stat in 1977, Harvey Martin would still hold the NFL record with 23 sacks (in only a 14 game season). He followed that up with 4 more in the playoffs leading to a Superbowl MVP award. His unofficial career sack total was the team record for nearly 40 years until Ware broke it. He was also strong against the run. I saw and loved both players. Jeffcoat was good, real good. No argument there. But anyone who calls themselves a "realist" understands how incredible Martin was in his prime (and it was much better than Jeffcoat in his).

 

[gtb1943]

While I agree Martin was better, it wasn't by much. Jeffcoat was a stud who played most of his career on bad teams.

do some remedial research. Harvey was something special and Jeffcoat to be blunt was not
IF the NFL had been keeping accounts of sacks a few years earlier its likely Martin would have had the all time sack record

 

[john van brocklin]

This should create some discussion.


Offense
https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...ubach-emmitt-smith-michael-irvin-jason-witten

Defense
https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...-parsons-demarcus-ware-deion-sanders-ed-jones

I got Roger Staubach as my QB.

 

[gimmesix]

Some weirdness here. Why fill out a complete depth chart for the defense but only do starters for offense?

Some recency bias too. You can tell the blogger is probably a young dude. Jay Ratliff shouldn't sniff that list.

Dexter Coakley has no bigger fan than me, but even I have a tough time putting him on any all time list. Dat Nguyen making honorable mention screams "I'm not old enough to have seen the Cowboys win Super Bowls".

Personally would have gone Drew Pearson over Lamb but I can at least understand the argument, as I can with Frederick over Stepnoski.

I'd go with Larry Cole (and some others) over Ratliff. Cole made some huge plays for the 1970s teams.

 

[gtb1943]

QB Roger
RB Emmit and TD
WR Irvin and Pearson
TE Witten
LT Tyron
LG LA
C Fredbeard
RG Martin
RT E Williams

DE Too Mean and Deware
DT Lilly and Manster
LB Howley, Parsons and Lee Roy Jordan
CB Renfro and Deion
S Waters and Woodson

K Toni Fritsch
P Danny White
ST Bill Bates