In case you forgot, look at what the Dallas Cowboys Oline used to be....

[5Stars]

The days when the Cowboys were clearly superior to the Eagles and Giants! *Sigh*

What? The Cowboys are still superior to those teams. Cowboy have five. The eagles have 0.

Is this a trick?

 

[Ultimategamer5567]

Good point. We're one draft (that is dedicated to the oline) away from having another good line IMO.

We're one more solid draft away from being set for the future, on the OL. Dallas might - key word; might - be able to produce a solid O-line THIS year by signing a guy like Waters and playing him ahead of Berny, provided he isn't running on empty.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Hopefully things are starting to look up: Three of the starting five this season are going to be recently drafted/homegrown linemen; Smith, Fredbeard and Leary.

We are 'trending' in the right direction. Looking in the rear view mirror there were some pretty lean years.

 

[Primetime42]

The current team has two draft picks who were taken in the first round. The 90s had none.

Do I need to quote Nate Newton here?

 

[unionjack8]

Well not so much Ron Stone.

But the bottom line is when the cap came into place it became much more difficult to "Keep the band together."

it did and thats why its imperative that you draft well, we did it back then and need to continue it now.

 

[Fmart322]

Wow look at the blocking.

I was at that game in Philly. Emmitt covered the spread on that td. I was 2 seats away from Joe Banner, before he was anybody (not that he's anything now).
It was loaded with Cowboys fans. Just listen to the fans cheer. we represented

 

[BrassCowboy]

It's not an excuse...it is what it is. If there were no salary cap, I would almost bet my house that Jerry would get the best of the best...but he can't. If you think that is an excuse that might be because you don't remember what the NFL was like without a salary cap.

did you forget that when there was no salary cap, there also was a very very limited form of free agency. So those were special because they were drafted correctly and coached very well as well. There was no free agency as we know it.

 

[BrassCowboy]

Well not so much Ron Stone.

But the bottom line is when the cap came into place it became much more difficult to "Keep the band together."

especially when player movement was opened up and began free agency as we know it now

 

[Bizwah]

The salary cap was the only thing that could stop us in the nineties. We were ravaged by FA. We simply had too much talent stockpiled.

I have many of my friends tell me that the Cowboys of the 90s had the best team money could buy. That's bull. We built that team mainly through the draft and trades.

 

[Risen Star]

Wow look at the blocking.

No....and you can't make me.

 

[big dog cowboy]

The salary cap was the only thing that could stop us in the nineties.

Perhaps Jimmy leaving should be included. At least it should be in the discussion.

 

[Red Dragon]

I wouldn't attribute the success of the 1990s offensive line to the lack of a salary cap, but rather, great development and finding of talent. Newton and Tuinei were undrafted players, for instance. It's not like they were consistent Pro Bowlers who were simply lured away from another NFL team by a great deal of money by the Cowboys.

 

[DC Cowboy]

Wow look at the blocking.

WAIT A MINUTE, Did Mike hump Emmitt after that TD vs. the Eagles ........... hmmmm

 

[daschoo]

Yeah but your point was that "it does not work like that way now" b/c Jerry bought that line and can't do that now, when in fact they weren't bought therefore it CAN be done now.

You can draft them all but can you pay them all and still have the money to put out quality elsewhere is I think the point being made.

 

[cwbyfan72]

On a side note, what a piece of crap field the VET was.

 

[noshame]

For the first time in a long time we have a good amount of football people in the organization, it's coming around.

 

[CowboysPhan]

One thing to note is that it's not just us. NOBODY has a line like that one these days! It was something special! Just like we can't realistically expect Demarco Murray to be as good as Emmitt, it's kind of unrealistic to expect our current o-line to block like those guys in the 90s. Having said that, we definitely want to keep trying to build toward that kind of line, and I believe we are making progress.

 

[Echo9]

did you forget that when there was no salary cap, there also was a very very limited form of free agency. So those were special because they were drafted correctly and coached very well as well. There was no free agency as we know it.

That is part of 5stars point. Without FA as we know it, it was easier to develop guys longer and keep them in place.

 

[Crown Royal]

THe first run was great blocking, and effective, but a few things to note:

1) Linebacker gets blocked by referee after Emmitt breaks through the line. Likely would have been a tackle.
2) Not saying we should go back to it, but either the mike or the will goes to the gap that Moose hit. It wasn't much of a gap, but that freed up the A gap that was just completely gaping. I think it was Step who combos that open, but either way, respecting the fullback really helped that out.
3) Safeties just did an overall poor job I think, but it would have been hard either way. The gap was open so fast and emmitt was through it with such pop that a tackle would have been hard anyway.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

The current team has two draft picks who were taken in the first round. The 90s had none.

Do I need to quote Nate Newton here?

Yea but this is 2013. Not the 1990's. In 2013, you are lucky if you have TWO Pro Bowlers on that offensive line. Cowboys had everyone. Its different times.

I think its a bit unfair to compare one of the best offensive lines of ALL TIME to ANYONE. That's like comparing MJ's Chicago Bulls to Derrick Rose's.