CFZ How Would Jimmy Johnson Handle the Cowboys Salary Cap in the 90's?

[plasticman]

Many seem to feel he was handicapped here by Jones. Truth is, he couldn't win without Jerry just like Jerry has shown he can't win without him. I don't know how long Jimmy's success would have continued here because of the cap. He was in the right situation at the right time and left before it got really wrong.

Jimmy put himself in the right position. He had just won a national championship with a college team that was nothing short of a dynasty at the time.

Jimmy became the HC for Miami (FL) in 1984. His high school recruits would have been drafted between 1987 and 1991. During that period, the NFL drafted 45 Miami players. Those draft choices included two HOFers and 10 1st round picks, 7 in the 2nd round and 6 in the 3rd round. Jimmy knew talent.

That group of draft picks included Michael Irvin, Jerome Brown, Alonzo Highsmith, Vinny Testaverde, Michael Irvin, the Blades brothers, Cleveland Gary, Cortez Kennedy, Randal Hill, Russell Maryland, Winston Moss, Brett Perriman, Danny Stubbs, Bubba McDowell, Jimmie Jones, Craig Erickson, Steve Walsh and Alfredo Roberts

Jimmy had his choice of 8-10 different HC jobs in the NFL and agreed to coach the Cowboys under specific conditions that included complete control of football operations with Jerry bankrolling his needs. It was in his contract.

That would still be the logical conclusion without a written agreement because building teams was Jimmy's specialty and he had actual credentials to prove it. Jerry Jones never coached, scouted, or evaluated football on a college or NFL level before he bought the team. Common sense tells anyone that Jimmy built that team and Jerry had almost no say in it because Jerry had no experience, recognition, or success in the field.

In fact, Tex Schram has revealed that if he was forced to fire Landry then Jimmy Johnson would have been his choice as well.

Jimmy wasn't just a great coach with a good eye for football talent. He hired top coaching and scouting talent. Some of his scouts were responsible for discovering talent like Emmitt Smith and Larry Allen and bringing it to Jimmy's attention. Jimmy would have done a far better job with the cap. That's just pure logic. Jimmy knew football and football talent and he would have prioritized his needs far better than Jerry.

I can tell you this, Jimmy would never have hired Stephen Jones to figure out the cap. He would have hired someone with he right credentials and attributes that would insure success. I know that because that's what he did with all the players, coaches and scouts that worked for him and he was obviously successful at it.

Any time you want truth about who was responsible for the success of the Dallas Cowboys during that period, you don't listen to their words. Jerry loves to revise history. His philosophy is an old but successful one"

If you say something often enough then sooner or later people are going to start believing it.

If you want the truth you research their actions, their accomplishments and their experiences. Jimmy had a pile of those in his chest and Jerry had nothing in his but the sound of chirping crickets.

Jimmy Johnson left because he spent a career trying to accomplish what the Cowboys was doing. He sacrificed a great deal of time and energy for a couple of decades. He even sacrificed his marriage. He put everything he had into making the Cowboys a success and Jerry was just going to scoop up all the credit and claim it for himself.

That's exactly what he is still trying to do. It's why he secretly made himself the GM in the beginning. It's why he loved to be around the media.. It's why he hired the coaches he did like Switzer, and Campo.

Jimmy was a great coach and the fact that he couldn't repeat his success in Miami means nothing. A great coach is just one element of a dynasty. The main ingredient is the passion and motivation of the players, which is called "team chemistry". That team had great ingredients thanks to Chef Jimmy.