Dynasties Start with QB Competition, Not QB Friendliness

KB1122

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Watching Green Bay and Tampa Bay. Notably both quarterbacks (Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady) were drafted by teams with successful quarterbacks: Brett Favre and Drew Bledsoe.

The list below demonstrates, to me, that Romo-Friendliness and Dak-Friendliness isn't the way to go. I'm OK with keeping Dak. But I also want to use the top 10 pick on a qb for competition. And rather than look at it as an insult to him, it actually will bring him to the next level, if he has that next level in him.

Observe:

1960s Green Bay Packers
When Bart Starr was drafted by the Packers, Tobin Rote was a Pro Bowl starter. Babe Parelli, a #4 overall draft pick, was on the bench. In the AFL after leaving the Packers, Rote went on to an MVP season and Parelli became an AFL All-Star multiple times. If Tobin Rote were the Cowboys QB today, Jerry would throw money at him.

1970s Steelers and Cowboys
When the Cowboys drafted Roger Staubach, they had Don Meredith and a year later drafted Craig Morton in the first round. Meredith retired when Roger returned from the Navy. Obviously Morton was no slouch. Two SB appearances, and outstanding stats in his two undisputed years as Cowboys starter. Staubach won his first Super Bowl from off the bench, then went back to the bench to start the next year. But Roger won out.

In 1969, the Steelers chose QB Terry Hanratty with the 30th overall pick (2nd round, in the 1st round now). So naturally, they did what Jerry would do: put all of their resources into Hanratty because their credibility was tied up in him. No, of course not. They used the 1970 No. 1 pick overall on Terry Bradshaw. And late round pick Joe Gilliam was the starter at the beginning of their first SB year. They churned.

1980s 49ers
Less of a case here. But Joe Montana did beat out journeyman Steve DeBerg, who wasn't bad and led the Chiefs to playoff berths later in his career. Of course, the Commanders rotated quarterbacks. But I wouldn't recommend that strategy.

1990s Cowboys
Troy Aikman. Steve Walsh.
And obviously Steve Young joined the Niners during the Montana years.

2000s/2010s Patriots
Drew Bledsoe went to the Pro Bowl in 1994, 1996, 1997. The Patriots drafted Tom Brady in 1998. Like Staubach, Brady won a Super Bowl and went back to the bench for a short time, IIRC.

Obviously QB competition didn't destroy these guy's tender egos. It brought the best out of them.
 

KB1122

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Dak literally was drafted by a team that already had a franchise QB.

Dak was drafted by a team with a 36 year old quarterback who
1) was coming off an unhealthy season and retired a year later;
2) had just gotten a new contract to age 40 from a team that mistakenly thought he was the equivalent of Peyton Manning mainly because they wanted to believe that.

If you want to argue the cowboys should keep drafting QB’s. I’m fine with it.


Doesn’t mean to necessarily let Dak go at this point either though.

I am OK with keeping Dak, with competition. But I recognize that within two years, he will either be an elite, deep-playoff kind of quarterback or a guy who had a nice career.
 

viman96

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Watching Green Bay and Tampa Bay. Notably both quarterbacks (Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady) were drafted by teams with successful quarterbacks: Brett Favre and Drew Bledsoe.

The list below demonstrates, to me, that Romo-Friendliness and Dak-Friendliness isn't the way to go. I'm OK with keeping Dak. But I also want to use the top 10 pick on a qb for competition. And rather than look at it as an insult to him, it actually will bring him to the next level, if he has that next level in him.

Observe:

1960s Green Bay Packers
When Bart Starr was drafted by the Packers, Tobin Rote was a Pro Bowl starter. Babe Parelli, a #4 overall draft pick, was on the bench. In the AFL after leaving the Packers, Rote went on to an MVP season and Parelli became an AFL All-Star multiple times. If Tobin Rote were the Cowboys QB today, Jerry would throw money at him.

1970s Steelers and Cowboys
When the Cowboys drafted Roger Staubach, they had Don Meredith and a year later drafted Craig Morton in the first round. Meredith retired when Roger returned from the Navy. Obviously Morton was no slouch. Two SB appearances, and outstanding stats in his two undisputed years as Cowboys starter. Staubach won his first Super Bowl from off the bench, then went back to the bench to start the next year. But Roger won out.

In 1969, the Steelers chose QB Terry Hanratty with the 30th overall pick (2nd round, in the 1st round now). So naturally, they did what Jerry would do: put all of their resources into Hanratty because their credibility was tied up in him. No, of course not. They used the 1970 No. 1 pick overall on Terry Bradshaw. And late round pick Joe Gilliam was the starter at the beginning of their first SB year. They churned.

1980s 49ers
Less of a case here. But Joe Montana did beat out journeyman Steve DeBerg, who wasn't bad and led the Chiefs to playoff berths later in his career. Of course, the Commanders rotated quarterbacks. But I wouldn't recommend that strategy.

1990s Cowboys
Troy Aikman. Steve Walsh.
And obviously Steve Young joined the Niners during the Montana years.

2000s/2010s Patriots
Drew Bledsoe went to the Pro Bowl in 1994, 1996, 1997. The Patriots drafted Tom Brady in 1998. Like Staubach, Brady won a Super Bowl and went back to the bench for a short time, IIRC.

Obviously QB competition didn't destroy these guy's tender egos. It brought the best out of them.

What about 2020?

Wentz vs Hurts. Wentz's ego and soul got crushed.

How much did Rodgers appreciate the Packers drafting another QB? That still has the potential to be an issue.
 

Pompey-Cowboy

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Most of the OP's examples date from the 60's and 70's. The ridiculous money that is in the game now wasn't in the game then. The fragile ego's we see now stem from that. There is no way a top QB now would win a play off game or two then be happy to sit on the bench the next season. That'a not to say i'm against drafting the best available QB by the way, it wouldn't be my first choice but I can see some value in it.
 

JBS

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This is one of the dumbest threads I've ever seen..dynasties all start with elite qbs..and every single time, that franchise already had a different qb that was playing for them..

Yeah no crap..nobody plays without a qb
 

KB1122

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This is one of the dumbest threads I've ever seen..dynasties all start with elite qbs..and every single time, that franchise already had a different qb that was playing for them..

Yeah no crap..nobody plays without a qb

They all beat out either very good incumbents in their primes or similarly high contemporaneous draft picks, or both. Who was drafted into a down quarterback situation and then went 10 years without a challenger? None of them. Well, Montana, maybe.

Contemporaneous means at or around the same time. Just so I don't confuse you.
 

JW82

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Dak literally was drafted by a team that already had a franchise QB.


If you want to argue the cowboys should keep drafting QB’s. I’m fine with it.


Doesn’t mean to necessarily let Dak go at this point either though.

lol, exactly.
 

pete026

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They all beat out either very good incumbents in their primes or similarly high contemporaneous draft picks, or both. Who was drafted into a down quarterback situation and then went 10 years without a challenger? None of them. Well, Montana, maybe.

Contemporaneous means at or around the same time. Just so I don't confuse you.
1. All your examples except the last are pre-cap so those teams were able to carry 2 top QBs at the same time. The last example was NE and my recollection is that they had decided to move on from Bledsoe when they drafted Brady.

2. In order to use a Top 10 pick on somewhat of a flyer (because that is what 1st round college QBs are), you have to have a solid enough team to take that risk and support that QBs adjustment period. Teams like that do not have Top 10 picks.

(Please don't rebut using the "once in a blue moon" Mahomes argument)
 

KB1122

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Mahomes beat out another pretty-good but not great quarterback. Alex Smith had 2 Pro Bowls and 11, 11, and 9 wins in the last three years in KC. Smith had his best year in Mahomes' rookie year with a 26/5 TD/INT ratio. I would agree that this was a quicker and more typical change of the guard. KC cleared the field without a prolonged qb challenge. But they also didn't overcommit to Smith and weren't afraid of taking a qb while they had a pretty good one. Would the Joneses do that? I don't see any evidence they would play it this well.
 

ESisback

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Watching Green Bay and Tampa Bay. Notably both quarterbacks (Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady) were drafted by teams with successful quarterbacks: Brett Favre and Drew Bledsoe.

The list below demonstrates, to me, that Romo-Friendliness and Dak-Friendliness isn't the way to go. I'm OK with keeping Dak. But I also want to use the top 10 pick on a qb for competition. And rather than look at it as an insult to him, it actually will bring him to the next level, if he has that next level in him.

Observe:

1960s Green Bay Packers
When Bart Starr was drafted by the Packers, Tobin Rote was a Pro Bowl starter. Babe Parelli, a #4 overall draft pick, was on the bench. In the AFL after leaving the Packers, Rote went on to an MVP season and Parelli became an AFL All-Star multiple times. If Tobin Rote were the Cowboys QB today, Jerry would throw money at him.

1970s Steelers and Cowboys
When the Cowboys drafted Roger Staubach, they had Don Meredith and a year later drafted Craig Morton in the first round. Meredith retired when Roger returned from the Navy. Obviously Morton was no slouch. Two SB appearances, and outstanding stats in his two undisputed years as Cowboys starter. Staubach won his first Super Bowl from off the bench, then went back to the bench to start the next year. But Roger won out.

In 1969, the Steelers chose QB Terry Hanratty with the 30th overall pick (2nd round, in the 1st round now). So naturally, they did what Jerry would do: put all of their resources into Hanratty because their credibility was tied up in him. No, of course not. They used the 1970 No. 1 pick overall on Terry Bradshaw. And late round pick Joe Gilliam was the starter at the beginning of their first SB year. They churned.

1980s 49ers
Less of a case here. But Joe Montana did beat out journeyman Steve DeBerg, who wasn't bad and led the Chiefs to playoff berths later in his career. Of course, the Commanders rotated quarterbacks. But I wouldn't recommend that strategy.

1990s Cowboys
Troy Aikman. Steve Walsh.
And obviously Steve Young joined the Niners during the Montana years.

2000s/2010s Patriots
Drew Bledsoe went to the Pro Bowl in 1994, 1996, 1997. The Patriots drafted Tom Brady in 1998. Like Staubach, Brady won a Super Bowl and went back to the bench for a short time, IIRC.

Obviously QB competition didn't destroy these guy's tender egos. It brought the best out of them.

interesting post! Which QBs are destroying their team by being friends? Romo and Dak?!? How? They’re like everyone else—competitive. The ‘friends‘ stuff is PR, like every other team.
 

pete026

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Mahomes beat out another pretty-good but not great quarterback. Alex Smith had 2 Pro Bowls and 11, 11, and 9 wins in the last three years in KC. Smith had his best year in Mahomes' rookie year with a 26/5 TD/INT ratio. I would agree that this was a quicker and more typical change of the guard. KC cleared the field without a prolonged qb challenge. But they also didn't overcommit to Smith and weren't afraid of taking a qb while they had a pretty good one. Would the Joneses do that? I don't see any evidence they would play it this well.
Yep, just draft the next Mahomes. Of course, that would have to occur in the next 2-3 years so we can take advantage of our present roster before it's gone. Simple as that.
 
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