Off Season What If - '98 Aikman, Irvin, Smith, and Moss

[TwoDeep3]

This is the year Packers played the Bronocs in the upset that shocked the world, for the most part.

But as the draft question came out, there was a majority that felt Randy Moss should have been the pick.

So... you know the question.

And with the eight pick in the 1998 NFL draft, the Dallas Cowboys select Randy Moss, Wide Receiver, from Marshall.

Does Randy Moss come in with Aikman, Irvin, and Smith and hoist this team to number six?

 

[Red Dragon]

Not even close.....I think the Cowboys probably win two or three more playoff games but that would have been it.


Aikman was clearly on the decline by then.

Moss would have definitely made a difference in the offense, but I still don't think the Cowboys would have gotten past the Falcons or Broncos.


The Vikings wouldn't have been 15-1 without Moss, though, and so the Cowboys might have eked past them in the Divisional Playoffs.

Then in 1999, the Cowboys had a very strong defense but couldn't put up much offense. With Moss, I think that team goes 10-6 or 11-5.......but again, still, wouldn't get past the Rams or Bucs in the playoffs.

 

[Red Dragon]

I will say, however, that even those 2-3 extra playoff wins (which I think the Cowboys could have had with Moss) alone would have been worth drafting Moss.


Also, the Cowboys probably wouldn't have traded two 1st-round picks away for Galloway.


HOWEVER..............I think Moss might have become dissatisfied around 2000-2002 and demanded a trade.

 

[TwoDeep3]

Not even close.....I think the Cowboys probably win two or three more playoff games but that would have been it.


Aikman was clearly on the decline by then.

Moss would have definitely made a difference in the offense, but I still don't think the Cowboys would have gotten past the Falcons or Broncos.


The Vikings wouldn't have been 15-1 without Moss, though, and so the Cowboys might have eked past them in the Divisional Playoffs.

Then in 1999, the Cowboys had a very strong defense but couldn't put up much offense. With Moss, I think that team goes 10-6 or 11-5.......but again, still, wouldn't get past the Rams or Bucs in the playoffs.

Just to refresh your memory, this was Chan Gailey's first year.

1998 10-6-0 1st -- NFC East 0-1 - Lost Wild Card Playoffs Chan Gailey

 

[Red Dragon]

I know perfectly well the Cowboys went 10-6 and 8-8 in Chan Gailey's tenure with playoff appearances in each season.


With Moss, the Cowboys might have done better than 10-6 the first year, maybe beaten the Vikings or 49ers, but I still ultimately doubt they would have prevailed against the Falcons or Broncos.


With Moss, the Cowboys could very well have been 10-6 or 11-5 the following season, but would have faced a very tough Buccaneers defense or very high-scoring Rams offensive in the playoffs. And I still don't think they would have won the Super Bowl or even appeared in it.

 

[Boyzmamacita]

I know perfectly well the Cowboys went 10-6 and 8-8 in Chan Gailey's tenure with playoff appearances in each season.


With Moss, the Cowboys might have done better than 10-6 the first year, maybe beaten the Vikings or 49ers, but I still ultimately doubt they would have prevailed against the Falcons or Broncos.


With Moss, the Cowboys could very well have been 10-6 or 11-5 the following season, but would have faced a very tough Buccaneers defense or very high-scoring Rams offensive in the playoffs. And I still don't think they would have won the Super Bowl or even appeared in it.

If your scenario is the truth then it's really silly that so many Cowboys fans lament not drafting Moss. At the time, I wanted us to take him too, but he didn't lead ANY team to a championship (WRs usually don't). And he played on some pretty good ones.

 

[Red Dragon]

If your scenario is the truth then it's really silly that so many Cowboys fans lament not drafting Moss. At the time, I wanted us to take him too, but he didn't lead ANY team to a championship (WRs usually don't). And he played on some pretty good ones.

While Moss might not have led the Cowboys to another Super Bowl, I still think he would have made more of a contribution than Greg Ellis.

 

[KDM256]

Randy Moss gave Randall Cunningham new life at the QB position. Alot of people written off Cunningham before Moss arrived but all Randall had to do is throw the ball up and left Moss go and get it.

Who says that wouldn't be the same case with Aikman. Moss would have demanded a over the top saftey help and Irvin would have excelled on the other side of the field.


I wouldn't go as far as saying Superbowl win but I would think we wouldve made it to the NFC Championship game at least

 

[burmafrd]

The offensive line was in serious decline at that time; we had LA and were getting the Hotel but the rest of the line was going downhill fast.

The D was good but that is all.

I do not see a SB winning team from 98-2000 that we would have beaten.

That is another reason the Galloway trade was beyond a doubt the dumbest trade in Cowboys history

 

[wick]

This is the year Packers played the Bronocs in the upset that shocked the world, for the most part.

You mean the Falcons.

 

[KJJ]

This is the year Packers played the Bronocs in the upset that shocked the world, for the most part.

But as the draft question came out, there was a majority that felt Randy Moss should have been the pick.

So... you know the question.

And with the eight pick in the 1998 NFL draft, the Dallas Cowboys select Randy Moss, Wide Receiver, from Marshall.

Does Randy Moss come in with Aikman, Irvin, and Smith and hoist this team to number six?

The Packers and Broncos SB was during the "97 season" although the SB was played in Jan of 98. Not exactly sure if you're talking about the Cowboys winning the SB in 97 thinking Moss had already been drafted or you're referring to the "98 season." Moss had yet to be drafted when GB and Denver met in the SB. The Cowboys were in decline having gone 6-10 that season.

Had the Cowboys drafted Moss in April of 98 he certainly would have helped but the Cowboys were still a declining team that depended on their running game and defense. The Cowboys corp group was in decline it was the beginning of the end regardless had they drafted Moss.

 

[erod]

No.

Shante Carver, Kavika Pittman, Ebennezer Ekuban, Kareem Larrimore, Clay Shiver, David LaFleur, etc, would have made sure of it.

 

[KJJ]

Randy Moss gave Randall Cunningham new life at the QB position. Alot of people written off Cunningham before Moss arrived but all Randall had to do is throw the ball up and left Moss go and get it.

Who says that wouldn't be the same case with Aikman.

Cunningham had a cannon for an arm and according to Aikman he lost 15 yards on his deep ball due to his back issues. I don't think it would have been the same case with Aikman at that particular time in his career. You have to remember Troy was only 2 years away from retirement in 98.

 

[joseephuss]

Moss would have lasted 2 seasons in Dallas before getting suspended for a season for his marijuana use that was ignored while he played with the Vikes.

 

[Red Dragon]

Long story short, Moss might have postponed the Cowboys' decline for a season or two, but the Cowboys were inevitably headed for several subpar years regardless anyway.

 

[BAT]

With Moss, Cowboys likely do not experience the Campo years. That alone makes Moss the right pick.

 

[windward]

Moss would have made us contenders in 98 and 99 IMO. Billy Davis as a starting wide receiver? Oy vey.

 

[LatinMind]

Not even close.....I think the Cowboys probably win two or three more playoff games but that would have been it.


Aikman was clearly on the decline by then.

Moss would have definitely made a difference in the offense, but I still don't think the Cowboys would have gotten past the Falcons or Broncos.


The Vikings wouldn't have been 15-1 without Moss, though, and so the Cowboys might have eked past them in the Divisional Playoffs.

Then in 1999, the Cowboys had a very strong defense but couldn't put up much offense. With Moss, I think that team goes 10-6 or 11-5.......but again, still, wouldn't get past the Rams or Bucs in the playoffs.

yup. People like to talk about 2009. But alot of teams in the nfl had a bad draft that yr. Because if you look into it which i have and posted about it in the past. That draft had a handful of players who have done anything in he nfl. Weak draft. But to me Dallas not picking Randy Moss was a epic failure. Greg Ellis turned into a decent player. But noteven on Moss' radar.

 

[joseephuss]

yup. People like to talk about 2009. But alot of teams in the nfl had a bad draft that yr. Because if you look into it which i have and posted about it in the past. That draft had a handful of players who have done anything in he nfl. Weak draft. But to me Dallas not picking Randy Moss was a epic failure. Greg Ellis turned into a decent player. But noteven on Moss' radar.

The majority of teams passed on Moss that year. No team tried to trade up to get him. Twenty teams or 2/3rds of the league passed on him and had the Vikings not drafted him he probably would have kept slipping down in the draft. They did it for good reasons. He was extremely talented, but he was a head case. He would have crashed and burned in the pressure cooker of Dallas. They were ill equipped to handle him at that time. They also needed more than just a good receiver to be contenders at that time. Plus Chan Gailey was not a good coach.

 

[Manwiththeplan]

The offensive line was in serious decline at that time; we had LA and were getting the Hotel but the rest of the line was going downhill fast.

The D was good but that is all.

I do not see a SB winning team from 98-2000 that we would have beaten.

That is another reason the Galloway trade was beyond a doubt the dumbest trade in Cowboys history

When you look at how bad the Galloway trade was, and consider the same owner/gm traded a 1 & 3 fro Roy Williams.......this gets atleast honorable mention.