The Dallas Cowboys are the Alex Smith-era Chiefs

[RustyBourneHorse]

The Dallas Cowboys are the Alex Smith-era Chiefs. I stated this as a comment in a post, and, as I've been digging more into it, the more I can see similarities between the Cowboys, as currently constructed, and the Alex Smith-era Chiefs, specifically circa 2016. If the Cowboys see the similarities that I see, then thats great, because I think there's a way to build this team for great success in the near future. If I am right, which, from what I see, I think is probably close, then I think I have a vision for how to make the Cowboys similar to the current Chiefs. It won't be identical, but we can be similar IF the Cowboys see what I see. Below are some of the many similarities that I see. For the sake of this thread, I will limit the comparisons to three major ones.

Part I - Comparisons

Coaching - Andy Reid vs Mike McCarthy
Andy Reid and Mike McCarthy have a lot more in common than you might think. There was a time when Reid was thought to have poor clock management skills. A lot of the criticisms thrown at Mike McCarthy were once thrown at Andy Reid, who I think we'd all see as a great coach. I won't go into too many details of this as I have a thread about this. However, I will compare a few things. Firstly, they're from a similar Bill Walsh WCO (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Walsh_(American_football_coach)). This means that they have similar philosophies. Secondly, if you watch the offenses of the 2016 Kansas City Chiefs and the 2023 (as this is the first year of Mike calling the plays) Cowboys, you can see some similarities. Below, I will show you week 1 of the Kansas City Chiefs game playing the then-San Diego Chargers and our week 4 game against the Patriots. I showed these videos to one of my roommates, who is a Chiefs fan. Observe the offenses:





If you notice, there are similarities in the ways these offenses are run. Specifically, notice the run patterns and some of the route combinations used. There are similarities that I see. My roommate who is a Chiefs fan noticed some of the similarities that I saw.


QB: Dak Prescott vs. Alex Smith
The QBs are very similar. Like Alex Smith, Dak is the type of QB who will keep you relevant, but will not lead you to much in the way of playoff success. You'll make the playoffs more often than not, but it will be frustrating because you expect more. Dak isn't the only QB to have a great record and blow a top seed. Alex Smith did too in 2016.

Tight Ends: Jake Ferguson vs Travis Kelce
I think Jake Ferguson has proven to be quite similar to Travis Kelce. If you watch the way he plays, he has a similar skillset. The measurables are similar with Jake (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_Ferguson) is 6'4" and 244 lbs, while Travis Kelce is 6'5" and 250 lbs. If you watch the two of them play, they're quite similar, and not just because they wear the same number.

The important thing is that we have pieces in place that, if you put the tape on of the 2016 Chiefs and the 2023 Cowboys, you can see similarities. So, now for why this is a good thing.

Part II - How to Fix it!
So, now comes my vision on how to fix the problem. How to turn the Cowboys into a "similar to Patrick Mahomes" era. Firstly, and I know some of you are going to hate this but please read the entirety of this so you understand what I'm saying. This is not to embrace mediocrity as some of you might say. Rather, it is like planting a seed that can grow into a tree. We must extend Dak's contract. I know a lot of you hate this, but, for the cap, we must. However, and I stress however, I would either make it a 3 year deal OR make it a deal that is long BUT has an out after 2-3 years AND allows for trades (just as the Chiefs did with Alex Smith when they dealt him to Washington). This allows us to extend the cap AND gives us an out for the important part. We then draft a QB to develop like the Chiefs did with Patrick Mahomes. The QB that I'm thinking is Michael Penix from Washington. I would let him sit behind Dak for a year or two to develop, sort of like what the Chiefs did with Mahomes behind Alex Smith. Oh, and I should note (in the interest of symmetry) the Chiefs also went a long time, prior to Mahomes, without drafting a QB in the first round. Their last 1st round QB was Todd Blackledge of Penn State (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Kansas_City_Chiefs_first-round_draft_picks) in 1983. They drafted Mahomes in 2017. Our last first round draft QB was Troy Aikman in 1989. It is now 2024. The time would uncannily similar (+- a few years) if do it this year. But, as it stands, let us go further with this.

I would have Penix sit for a year or two and develop. Given that he'd be a first round pick, he would have the 5th year option built into his contract. Plus, by having Dak, you don't have to tear down the team in a rebuild and have shoddy records. So, we could have a QB that a lot of teams would like to have, and we'd have the QB of the future on the roster. While we do this, we also should look at what we have. We have a player in Turpin who, if used creatively, can be similar to Tyreek Hill. We have actually an upgrade at WR in Lamb. We have a TE similar to Kelce. What we would need is a QB like Penix to develop. Once he's ready, we get him on the field, use the fact that we'd have an out in Dak's contract to try to trade him, and turn the offense over to Penix. In doing this and, if my vision (and I hope it is McCarthy's vision too) for the team ends up like I think it does, we could become the NFC version of the Chiefs.

I think this is how we go from where we are now to a team who is consistently competing for a championship. The best part for Jerry? He wouldn't have had to wait very long to build the roster, and he'd be able to pad his ego by saying his patience led to us finding a similar coach to Andy Reid, while he rakes in the money for having a champion.

 

[Jake]

The Dallas Cowboys are the Alex Smith-era Chiefs. I stated this as a comment in a post, and, as I've been digging more into it, the more I can see similarities between the Cowboys, as currently constructed, and the Alex Smith-era Chiefs, specifically circa 2016. If the Cowboys see the similarities that I see, then thats great, because I think there's a way to build this team for great success in the near future. If I am right, which, from what I see, I think is probably close, then I think I have a vision for how to make the Cowboys similar to the current Chiefs. It won't be identical, but we can be similar IF the Cowboys see what I see. Below are some of the many similarities that I see. For the sake of this thread, I will limit the comparisons to three major ones.

Part I - Comparisons

Coaching - Andy Reid vs Mike McCarthy
Andy Reid and Mike McCarthy have a lot more in common than you might think. There was a time when Reid was thought to have poor clock management skills. A lot of the criticisms thrown at Mike McCarthy were once thrown at Andy Reid, who I think we'd all see as a great coach. I won't go into too many details of this as I have a thread about this. However, I will compare a few things. Firstly, they're from a similar Bill Walsh WCO (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Walsh_(American_football_coach)). This means that they have similar philosophies. Secondly, if you watch the offenses of the 2016 Kansas City Chiefs and the 2023 (as this is the first year of Mike calling the plays) Cowboys, you can see some similarities. Below, I will show you week 1 of the Kansas City Chiefs game playing the then-San Diego Chargers and our week 4 game against the Patriots. I showed these videos to one of my roommates, who is a Chiefs fan. Observe the offenses:





If you notice, there are similarities in the ways these offenses are run. Specifically, notice the run patterns and some of the route combinations used. There are similarities that I see. My roommate who is a Chiefs fan noticed some of the similarities that I saw.


QB: Dak Prescott vs. Alex Smith
The QBs are very similar. Like Alex Smith, Dak is the type of QB who will keep you relevant, but will not lead you to much in the way of playoff success. You'll make the playoffs more often than not, but it will be frustrating because you expect more. Dak isn't the only QB to have a great record and blow a top seed. Alex Smith did too in 2016.

Tight Ends: Jake Ferguson vs Travis Kelce
I think Jake Ferguson has proven to be quite similar to Travis Kelce. If you watch the way he plays, he has a similar skillset. The measurables are similar with Jake (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_Ferguson) is 6'4" and 244 lbs, while Travis Kelce is 6'5" and 250 lbs. If you watch the two of them play, they're quite similar, and not just because they wear the same number.

The important thing is that we have pieces in place that, if you put the tape on of the 2016 Chiefs and the 2023 Cowboys, you can see similarities. So, now for why this is a good thing.

Part II - How to Fix it!
So, now comes my vision on how to fix the problem. How to turn the Cowboys into a "similar to Patrick Mahomes" era. Firstly, and I know some of you are going to hate this but please read the entirety of this so you understand what I'm saying. This is not to embrace mediocrity as some of you might say. Rather, it is like planting a seed that can grow into a tree. We must extend Dak's contract. I know a lot of you hate this, but, for the cap, we must. However, and I stress however, I would either make it a 3 year deal OR make it a deal that is long BUT has an out after 2-3 years AND allows for trades (just as the Chiefs did with Alex Smith when they dealt him to Washington). This allows us to extend the cap AND gives us an out for the important part. We then draft a QB to develop like the Chiefs did with Patrick Mahomes. The QB that I'm thinking is Michael Penix from Washington. I would let him sit behind Dak for a year or two to develop, sort of like what the Chiefs did with Mahomes behind Alex Smith. Oh, and I should note (in the interest of symmetry) the Chiefs also went a long time, prior to Mahomes, without drafting a QB in the first round. Their last 1st round QB was Todd Blackledge of Penn State (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Kansas_City_Chiefs_first-round_draft_picks) in 1983. They drafted Mahomes in 2017. Our last first round draft QB was Troy Aikman in 1989. It is now 2024. The time would uncannily similar (+- a few years) if do it this year. But, as it stands, let us go further with this.

I would have Penix sit for a year or two and develop. Given that he'd be a first round pick, he would have the 5th year option built into his contract. Plus, by having Dak, you don't have to tear down the team in a rebuild and have shoddy records. So, we could have a QB that a lot of teams would like to have, and we'd have the QB of the future on the roster. While we do this, we also should look at what we have. We have a player in Turpin who, if used creatively, can be similar to Tyreek Hill. We have actually an upgrade at WR in Lamb. We have a TE similar to Kelce. What we would need is a QB like Penix to develop. Once he's ready, we get him on the field, use the fact that we'd have an out in Dak's contract to try to trade him, and turn the offense over to Penix. In doing this and, if my vision (and I hope it is McCarthy's vision too) for the team ends up like I think it does, we could become the NFC version of the Chiefs.

I think this is how we go from where we are now to a team who is consistently competing for a championship. The best part for Jerry? He wouldn't have had to wait very long to build the roster, and he'd be able to pad his ego by saying his patience led to us finding a similar coach to Andy Reid, while he rakes in the money for having a champion.

But the Chiefs never paid Alex Smith like he's Patrick Mahomes. Jerry and Stephen, on the other hand...

 

[DoctorChicken]

100%

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

But the Chiefs never paid Alex Smith like he's Patrick Mahomes. Jerry and Stephen, on the other hand...

Counter argument, QB contracts then are not what they are now. I know the money part, but you do have to pay a lot for a quality QB, and it's why I made the point about having some sort of out in the contract for moving on from Dak when Penix is ready to play. We will see this year or next year (as they may opt for an olineman in round 1 this year) if they see what I see.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

Counter argument, QB contracts then are not what they are now. I know the money part, but you do have to pay a lot for a quality QB, and it's why I made the point about having some sort of out in the contract for moving on from Dak when Penix is ready to play. We will see this year or next year (as they may opt for an olineman in round 1 this year) if they see what I see.

After all, this is a copy cat league, and we do have a team that is eerily similar to the Kansas City Chiefs IF they see what I see. It's a question of if they have the vision that I do and can build the team in that mold.

 

[MikeyJones214]

100% been saying this too !!

Another great comparison is the Bengals with Andy Dalton.

The Bengals were perennial playoff team with Andy Dalton until they drafted Joe Burrow and made it to the SB.

Too many comparisons, too many examples of why Dak won't work out you'd figure our GM was smarter than us but goes to show money doesn't make a person smart lol

 

[Jake]

Counter argument, QB contracts then are not what they are now. I know the money part, but you do have to pay a lot for a quality QB, and it's why I made the point about having some sort of out in the contract for moving on from Dak when Penix is ready to play. We will see this year or next year (as they may opt for an olineman in round 1 this year) if they see what I see.

Alex Smith last played in 2020, not 2000. Every year but one he made less than $20 million. He got $40 million to sign with Washington in 2018 because Daniel Snyder has more money then brains. Drew Brees got $40 million in 2012.

Alex Smith was not paid elite QB money except for one moronic year by Daniel Snyder. Dak's been getting paid at that level for the last four years. It's just not the same.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

100% been saying this too !!

Another great comparison is the Bengals with Andy Dalton.

The Bengals were perennial playoff team with Andy Dalton until they drafted Joe Burrow and made it to the SB.

Too many comparisons, too many examples of why Dak won't work out you'd figure our GM was smarter than us but goes to show money doesn't make a person smart lol

I see that with the Bengals, but the similarities, as you break them down further, looks eerily similar to the Chiefs who, ironically, are also from Dallas at one point. I did a calculation of the years, and I found that they went 34 years between 1st round QBs. We are at 35 years in between 1st round picks. We have a coach who is frighteningly similar to Andy Reid. We have a team that is built very similarly to them, albeit with better receivers. The defence has similar builds. All the way you look at the team, it has marks that look strikingly similar to the Chiefs. There's a reason in 2021 that this team was able to hold the Chiefs to a close game at Arrowhead. The team is very similar. All that's missing from making the Cowboys a dead ringer for the Chiefs is Patrick Mahomes.

 

[Jake]

The Cowboys have already spent a 2024 draft pick on a QB - their 4th rounder for Trey Lance. They aren't using their first rounder for another one.

I don't dislike the plan, I just think there's a 0% chance of it happening.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

Alex Smith last played in 2020, not 2000. Every year but one he made less than $20 million. He got $40 million to sign with Washington in 2018 because Daniel Snyder has more money then brains. Drew Brees got $40 million in 2012.

Alex Smith was not paid elite QB money except for one moronic year by Daniel Snyder. Dak's been getting paid at that level for the last four years. It's just not the same.

Sure, but perhaps Dak would've been on a similar contract in 2013? Albeit, I don't quite remember what the average was then. The point being is that the team overall bears a shocking amount of similarities to the Chiefs in construction and coaches. The question is can the FO see it and can McCarthy see it. If they can and if they can identify a QB who can be developed like Mahomes was, we could be the NFC's version of the Chiefs. When Jerry says we are close, he is sort of right. However, I don't think he sees it the way that I do. If he does, we can become a doppelganger for the Chiefs.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

The Cowboys have already spent a 2024 draft pick on a QB - their 4th rounder for Trey Lance. They aren't using their first rounder for another one.

I don't dislike the plan, I just think there's a 0% chance of it happening.

Sure, and it's possible that they may go oline this year round one. That's fine, then in 2025, we would have to go QB round 1. That's why I'm saying that the out in Dak's contract should be around year two or three, depending on when they want to next take a QB. I want Penix, but they may have higher priorities this year. Lance isn't Mahomes (as great as it would be if he was). However, this year and next year, the QB classes look solid. All that we need within the next few years is to take one that has similar skillsets to Mahomes, let him develop, and we can swing into action.

 

[Jake]

Sure, but perhaps Dak would've been on a similar contract in 2013? Albeit, I don't quite remember what the average was then. The point being is that the team overall bears a shocking amount of similarities to the Chiefs in construction and coaches. The question is can the FO see it and can McCarthy see it.

Unfortunately, I think we both know the answer to that question.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

The Cowboys have already spent a 2024 draft pick on a QB - their 4th rounder for Trey Lance. They aren't using their first rounder for another one.

I don't dislike the plan, I just think there's a 0% chance of it happening.

Plus, I just did some more digging, and it's interesting how the Joneses do sometines telegraph future moves by way of some of the acquisitions that they make. Every so often, they'll sign a FA or make a move for a player, and the draft a player of a similar or same position. After trading for Hankins, they had him as a FA when his contract expired. Then, they signed him and drafted Mazi Smith. The year before, 2022, look at the offseason moves:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Dallas_Cowboys_season

They signed James Washington, and then drafted Tolbert round 3. Signed Jason Peters, drafted Tyler Smith. Signed Fowler, drafted Sam Williams. The list goes on. If the Cowboys stick to this trend, then it's not impossible for them to draft a QB in round 1 even with the move for Lance. Besides, they had all season to evaluate Lance. If they don't see value in him, they could still draft a QB in round one, and it wouldn't exactly go against their par for the course moves. I think Lance was brought in to put pressure on Dak. I could see it also telegraphing to him that his replacement might be drafted soon. If this is the case, then I don't think it's out of the realm that Penix, if available, could become a Dallas Cowboy.

 

[PAPPYDOG]

This team has been 1 QB away from going to another Superbowl.
Been posting the above since 2016.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

Unfortunately, I think we both know the answer to that question.

Perhaps, but I think I've figured out a trend that the Cowboys have. If I have analysed the trends correctly, I think it's possible they might accidently stumble onto the right answer anyway.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

But the Chiefs never paid Alex Smith like he's Patrick Mahomes. Jerry and Stephen, on the other hand...

The Chiefs gave him a 68 million dollar deal with 45 million guaranteed in 2014…5 million less per year than Aaron Rodgers lol….so no they didn’t pay him like he was Mahomes they paid him like he was prime Aaron Rodgers but don’t let facts get in your way keep going lol.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

100% been saying this too !!

Another great comparison is the Bengals with Andy Dalton.

The Bengals were perennial playoff team with Andy Dalton until they drafted Joe Burrow and made it to the SB.

Too many comparisons, too many examples of why Dak won't work out you'd figure our GM was smarter than us but goes to show money doesn't make a person smart lol

If Andy Dalton had Higgins, Chase and Boyd he probably would’ve had more success.

 

[HMJYay]

The Chiefs with Alex Smith and the Bengals with Andy Dalton are both good comparisons. Both good QB’s. Neither good ebough. Both of those teams had GMs willing to move on and not have to prove they are smarter than everyone

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

This team has been 1 QB away from going to another Superbowl.
Been posting the above since 2016.

Perhaps, but it's not quite that simple. But, now that the team has such a similar build (albeit, given the FO, probably accidentally) to the Kansas City Chiefs and such a similar set of trends of late to the Chiefs, the time has come to buck the 34+ year trend that we have of not taking a first round QB. Now, whether the FO sees it or not is a different story. Then again, they might accidently stumble into Penix (kinda like how they stumbled into Parsons). If they do and allow him to develop as I suggest, we could become an NFC dead ringer for the current Chiefs.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

The Chiefs with Alex Smith and the Bengals with Andy Dalton are both good comparisons. Both good QB’s. Neither good ebough. Both of those teams had GMs willing to move on and not have to prove they are smarter than everyone

Sure, and one difference is that the Chiefs went and got Mahomes. Penix should, by all accounts that I've read, be there when we are picking. Hence why I think the FO may stumble into our version of Mahomes by accident similar to how they stumbled into Parsons.