My All-time Cowboys players Top 5 Ranking list (per position)

[Bobhaze]

What Jimmy accomplished is extremely rare in professional sports.

He took a team with extremely minimal talent and built it into a team that won 2 SBs in his 5 years and another one with his players.

Most coaches that have early success inherited drastically more overall talent than what Jimmy had to work with.

Jimmy 2 SB wins in 5 years.

Landry 2 SB wins in 29 years.

No disrespect intended to Jimmy. He was great. But IMO, his resume’ cannot be compared to Tom Landry as being equal or better. Landry’s coaching career was transformational. Jimmy did a lot in 5 years as HC. He’s the second best coach we ever had. He was the only HC who knew how to work effectively with Jerry. But Tom Landry stands alone in his greatness.

 

[xwalker]

No disrespect intended to Jimmy. He was great. But IMO, his resume’ cannot be compared to Tom Landry as being equal or better. Landry’s coaching career was transformational. Jimmy did a lot in 5 years as HC. He’s the second best coach we ever had. He was the only HC who knew how to work effectively with Jerry. But Tom Landry stands alone in his greatness.

I realize I would never convince people over a certain age that Jimmy might have been better. Nothing wrong with that and the lack of an absolute right or wrong answer is what fuels sports "greatest" type lists.

I was born is the sixties and do have great appreciation for Landry; however, the odds were overwhelming stacked against Jimmy when he took the job. The franchise under Bum Bright's ownership was at an expansion team level or worse.

It's hard to compare coaches/players from different era(s).

Some people consider Jim Brown as the greatest RB but if Brown and Barry Sanders played at the same time against the same players it would not be much of a contest. They literally would have had to change the rules if Sanders played back then because he would have been too dominant. Jim Brown in the modern era is probably a Marion Barber type RB.

Side Note: They were discussing greatest college seasons by a player on the radio the other day and Barry Sanders was rated as #1 in an SI article.

In his junior season in college:
2628 rushing yards.
7.6 yards/carry
37 TDs.
#1 in big 8 punt return TDs

(#1 in NCAA previous season)​

#1 in big 8 kickoff return TDs.

(#1 in NCAA previous season)​

Bowl Game 222 yards rushing & 5 TDs.

 

[kskboys]

I realize I would never convince people over a certain age that Jimmy might have been better. Nothing wrong with that and the lack of an absolute right or wrong answer is what fuels sports "greatest" type lists.

I was born is the sixties and do have great appreciation for Landry; however, the odds were overwhelming stacked against Jimmy when he took the job. The franchise under Bum Bright's ownership was at an expansion team level or worse.

It's hard to compare coaches/players from different era(s).

Some people consider Jim Brown as the greatest RB but if Brown and Barry Sanders played at the same time against the same players it would not be much of a contest. They literally would have had to change the rules if Sanders played back then because he would have been too dominant. Jim Brown in the modern era is probably a Marion Barber type RB.

Side Note: They were discussing greatest college seasons by a player on the radio the other day and Barry Sanders was rated as #1 in an SI article.

In his junior season in college:
2628 rushing yards.
7.6 yards/carry
37 TDs.
#1 in big 8 punt return TDs

(#1 in NCAA previous season)​

#1 in big 8 kickoff return TDs.

(#1 in NCAA previous season)​

Bowl Game 222 yards rushing & 5 TDs.

I was watching some Jim Brown tape a while back. I have to agree. He's simply not quick enough for today's NFL, IMO. He'd be an ordinary average RB.

 

[Bob-Lillys-War]

My Cowboys HC list top to bottom:
(The records speak for themselves)

1. Landry -( Double Champ )
2. Jimmy Johnson - (Double Champ )
3. Barry Switzer - (Champ )
4.Chan Gailey - (2 playoff berths in 2 years.)
5.Bill Parcels - (2 playoff berths in 4 years.)
6.Wade Phillips -(2 playoff berths in 4 years).
7.Jason Garrett -(3 playoff berths in 9 frickin' years.)

 

[CowboyRoy]

How in the world is Precott ahead of Danny White who lead the team to 3 straight NFC title games. That accomplishment alone trumps anything Dak has done.

I have to agree. Dak is NOT in front of White at this point. But anyone that expects a 3rd year QB to be ahead of white is naïve.

 

[CowboyRoy]

I was watching some Jim Brown tape a while back. I have to agree. He's simply not quick enough for today's NFL, IMO. He'd be an ordinary average RB.

Cmon………….Jim Brown wasn't known for his speed. It was his strength and toughness.

 

[kskboys]

Cmon………….Jim Brown wasn't known for his speed. It was his strength and toughness.

I know. And I don't think he'd be more than average today.

 

[CowboyRoy]

I know. And I don't think he'd be more than average today.

We will have to disagree on this one. Especially if he played for a team on a good offense with a good line? He would destroy it again. He played for mostly bad Browns teams and they all knew he was getting the ball.

 

[kskboys]

We will have to disagree on this one. Especially if he played for a team on a good offense with a good line? He would destroy it again. He played for mostly bad Browns teams and they all knew he was getting the ball.

Possible. It is only opinion!!!!

There are players who are so smooth that they don't look fast. He may be one such.

 

[Bobhaze]

I was watching some Jim Brown tape a while back. I have to agree. He's simply not quick enough for today's NFL, IMO. He'd be an ordinary average RB.

Gotta disagree witcha brother. Jim Brown would be a stud today. If you’re looking at old tape, it doesn’t always accurately depict what the speed really was. If you look at a Bob Hayes highlight film from the 60s, he doesn’t look as fast as he really was. I saw both Jim Brown and Bob Hayes play in person when I was very young and they made the other players look like high school kids.

Earl Campbell reminded me a lot of Jim Brown. Big and powerful but also fast. I saw Earl play when he was in HS and he not only ran over people, he had speed too. Jim Brown had speed but he didn’t flash it as often because he ran over people so much he didn’t have to. In today’s game, RBs don’t run the way they did in the 60s as far as initiating contact. But Jim Brown was so big, fast and athletic, he would be an All Pro in today’s game too IMO.

 

[cowboyec]

No disrespect intended to Jimmy. He was great. But IMO, his resume’ cannot be compared to Tom Landry as being equal or better. Landry’s coaching career was transformational. Jimmy did a lot in 5 years as HC. He’s the second best coach we ever had. He was the only HC who knew how to work effectively with Jerry. But Tom Landry stands alone in his greatness.

 

[cowboyec]

I know. And I don't think he'd be more than average today.

bull.

 

[JayFord]

Pat McBriar's brother, Mat McBriar, was also a decent punter. Surprised to not see him make the list.

Mat McBriar was actually my favorite cowboy when he was here

 

[quickccc]

if i could re-edit the original post,...not only would i have added terrell owens on the WR list , but i would also list the best special teams coverage guys we've ever had ,such as

SPECIAL TEAMS COVERAGE:
1 Bill Bates
2 Kenneth Gant
3 Kavon Frazier
4 Anthony Dickerson
5 Keith Davis ??

 

[quickccc]

Gotta disagree witcha brother. Jim Brown would be a stud today. If you’re looking at old tape, it doesn’t always accurately depict what the speed really was. If you look at a Bob Hayes highlight film from the 60s, he doesn’t look as fast as he really was. I saw both Jim Brown and Bob Hayes play in person when I was very young and they made the other players look like high school kids.

Earl Campbell reminded me a lot of Jim Brown. Big and powerful but also fast. I saw Earl play when he was in HS and he not only ran over people, he had speed too. Jim Brown had speed but he didn’t flash it as often because he ran over people so much he didn’t have to. In today’s game, RBs don’t run the way they did in the 60s as far as initiating contact. But Jim Brown was so big, fast and athletic, he would be an All Pro in today’s game too IMO.

Would Jim Brown be more like Jerome Bettis of our era time ? Or even better ... ?
it's been said that Brown and Gale Sayers were such one of a kind athletes of their generation.

 

[quickccc]

What Jimmy accomplished is extremely rare in professional sports.

He took a team with extremely minimal talent and built it into a team that won 2 SBs in his 5 years and another one with his players.

Most coaches that have early success inherited drastically more overall talent than what Jimmy had to work with.

Jimmy 2 SB wins in 5 years.

Landry 2 SB wins in 29 years.

Landry's legacy carries more than Super Bowls - it's what he contributed as an Innovator to the NFL ,such as creating and giving the NFL the 4-3 defense scheme
(such as his version as the Flex Defense) ..as well as placing more stronger emphasis with pre-snap motion,and shifting
..ditto as well for reviving and re-emphasizing the Shot-gun formation as using it more often as a weaponry attack. ,

 

[quickccc]

Good reply.

I took it as favorites of the top players.

Not favorites like Bill Bates, but favorite 5 of top 10 type players.

If it were absolute best at their peak I would obviously have to include Dez Turd Bryant.

Bob Lilly is almost always rated above Randy White in rankings that include players from the beginning but Randy White was my favorite of the two.

The off-ball LBs were really difficult to rank. Guys like Robert Jones, Darrin Smith and even Dixon Edwards were over-looked because there was so much other talent on those teams. Dexter Coakley and Dat Nguyen might have been slightly inflated as fan favorites because they were near the top talent on the roster in many years they were here.

I don't see Dak over Romo as completely outlandish. Romo had better stats but Dak has a propensity for winning.

Of nfl players it would be hard to rank Aikman over Marino considering Marino's passing stats completely overwhelm Aikman's; however, Aikman was a winner and did what was required to win. He didn't care about his own stats.

Dexter Coakley - 3 Pro Bowls
Darrin Smith, Dixon Edwards (combined) - ZERO pro bowls
Robert Jones - one pro bowl

 

[xwalker]

Dexter Coakley - 3 Pro Bowls
Darrin Smith, Dixon Edwards (combined) - ZERO pro bowls
Robert Jones - one pro bowl

As I said, too much competition for recognition and Pro Bowls are about recognition more than being an accurate gauge of ability.

Emmitt said Darrin Smith was better in coverage than any LB he faced from another team.

I watched every snap all of those guys played for the Cowboys and I saw all of them up close in training camp.

 

[quickccc]

As I said, too much competition for recognition and Pro Bowls are about recognition more than being an accurate gauge of ability.

Emmitt said Darrin Smith was better in coverage than any LB he faced from another team.

I watched every snap all of those guys played for the Cowboys and I saw all of them up close in training camp.

pro bowls are about recognition among your peers and coaches outside of your own team, it speaks volume and means much to players
to being voted in it's awards.

 

[Bobhaze]

Would Jim Brown be more like Jerome Bettis of our era time ? Or even better ... ?
it's been said that Brown and Gale Sayers were such one of a kind athletes of their generation.

Bettis was powerful but too slow to be like Brown. The closest thing to Brown today would probably be Adrian Peterson.