News: DMN: The 10 greatest draft steals in Dallas Cowboys history

[fgoodwin]

My first thought was where is Tony Dorsett on that list. But we stole him via a trade with Seattle to get the 2nd pick overall in that draft. Then realized it was about where they were drafted.
TB took RB Ricky Bell, we took Tony D. Wow, wonder what would have happened if that was the other way around.

Ya gotta remember that Bell went to USC, and that his former coach John McKay, was HC of TB at the time.

1976 would be TB's first season, and the likelihood of an expansion team doing well in its first year were slim to none. So the question for the Cowboys was: trade up with TB (who ended up with the overall #1 pick) or Seattle (who had the #2). It speaks to the genius of Tex Schramm that he focused his attention on Seattle. He knew that McKay would take Ricky Bell, whether with the first or second pick. So Tex worked out a deal with the Seahawks (swapped #1 picks, and gave Seattle three #2 picks). And according to reports, he worked out the trade five weeks before the draft!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/arch...cowboys/38df7790-b418-4572-a045-8a7758c35521/

The question nobody ever asks: how the hell the Cowboys manage to stockpile three second round picks in the 1977 draft?

 

[CF74]

Not sure how you can call Dorsett a draft "steal". We traded up to get him, and we drafted him #2 overall. He didn't cost as much as Walker cost the Vikings, but he didn't come cheap.

Because he is a HOF.. We stole him from Seattle..

 

[fgoodwin]

No possible way I put Witten above Bob Hayes.

Love Witten and think he was a steal. But Witten didn't change the game of football.

Bob Hayes and his speed changed defenses forever.

It is a myth that Bob Hayes "forced the invention" of the zone defense. The Baltimore Colts were playing zone defense as early as the mid-50s. In the 1959 NFL Championship Game, the Colts deployed a zone defense against the Giants' offense:

http://www.si.com/vault/1960/01/04/582350/the-best-team-you-ever-saw

Hayes was definitely a factor in getting teams to deploy the zone defense more than they otherwise might have, but let's give credit where it is due: if anybody "invented" the zone, it was the Colts in the 50s, long before Bullet Bob Hayes' speed made the zone more common than not.

 

[fgoodwin]

But he wasn't drafted by us. We merely used a pick. We tried to draft him. In the days before the merger teams would use their R1 on a player who then went to another team in another league. They didn't draft him; they selected him to draft.

Drafting someone means they are compelled to work for you or do a job for you.

Don't confuse "drafting" and "signing". They are two different things.

Before the merger, teams would often draft a player that would eventually sign with the other league. We spent a first round pick on Texas lineman Scott Appleton in 1964; he signed with the AFL instead, but that doesn't change the fact that we drafted him.

We drafted Walker, which meant that we had rights to his services after the USFL folded.

 

[fgoodwin]

The Cowboys drafting Walker in the 5th round of the 85 draft to secure his rights was exactly what the team did with Roger Staubach in the 1964 draft. When the Cowboys saw Staubach was still available in the 10th round they drafted him to secure his rights until he fulfilled his military commitment. He like Walker had no choice but to play for the Cowboys once they drafted him unless they wanted to play in Canada. It's pretty simple to understand that once a team drafts a player they have to play for that team unless that team trades their rights.

Minor nit: but Staubach could have elected to play in the AFL (he was drafted by the Chiefs in the 16th round of the AFL draft). Thank God he elected to play for us after his military commitment!

 

[erod]

Just look at the undrafted guys.

Tony Romo
Cliff Harris
Everson Walls
Drew Pearson
Mark Tuinei
Miles Austin

 

[Plankton]

It is a myth that Bob Hayes "forced the invention" of the zone defense. The Baltimore Colts were playing zone defense as early as the mid-50s. In the 1959 NFL Championship Game, the Colts deployed a zone defense against the Giants' offense:

http://www.si.com/vault/1960/01/04/582350/the-best-team-you-ever-saw

Hayes was definitely a factor in getting teams to deploy the zone defense more than they otherwise might have, but let's give credit where it is due: if anybody "invented" the zone, it was the Colts in the 50s, long before Bullet Bob Hayes' speed made the zone more common than not.

Actually, the zone defense was more of an invention by Steve Owen, ably assisted by one of his cornerbacks, Tom Landry, with the Giants in the early 1950's. The Umbrella Defense was the first forerunner of the zone defense, and was created to slow down the passing attack of the Brown teams led by Otto Graham.

 

[fgoodwin]

Actually, the zone defense was more of an invention by Steve Owen, ably assisted by one of his cornerbacks, Tom Landry, with the Giants in the early 1950's. The Umbrella Defense was the first forerunner of the zone defense, and was created to slow down the passing attack of the Brown teams led by Otto Graham.

OK, the point is still that Hayes didn't "force the invention" of the zone. You agree?

 

[KJJ]

Minor nit: but Staubach could have elected to play in the AFL (he was drafted by the Chiefs in the 16th round of the AFL draft). Thank God he elected to play for us after his military commitment!

That's already been discussed.

 

[Plankton]

OK, the point is still that Hayes didn't "force the invention" of the zone. You agree?

absolutely

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

OK, the point is still that Hayes didn't "force the invention" of the zone. You agree?

I think he led to the 2 deep and 3 deep zones not so much the zone concept in and of itself. Basketball had been doing it since the beginning of the century. Baseball fielding is inherently a zone concept too.

 

[fgoodwin]

That's already been discussed.

Ninja'd again -- sorry about that.

 

[KJJ]

Ninja'd again -- sorry about that.

It happens when it was brought up earlier I mentioned luckily Staubach chose the stronger league and signed with the Cowboys.