The last Cowboy Dynasty and how it was built

[GimmeTheBall!]

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The last Cowboys Dynasty was built thus:

1. Aikman
2. Emmitt
3 Irvin, courtesy of Tom Landry

And Jimma went through players like Laverneus Cole went through free shoes at Florida State University (Free Shoes University) to get to where he wanted.

Yeah, Jimma hired the occasional oldster but cut them to go young.
And he knew how to build.

1. Aikman
2. Emmitt
3. Irvin
The holy trinity of offense: QB, RB, WR
With generous helpings of great role players like Kmart, Johnston, Harper, Smith

It's youth, stupid!

So, Jerra, resist Satan and do not go the route of "big names." They were dumped for good reasons.

Concentrate on the relatively young player in FA and position needs such as secondary and WR. And with our draft choices, let's address depth in RB, O line and QB, in that order.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

It helps to have a Jimmy around helping you build a team like that.

 

[burmafrd]

Jimmy went bust with a LOT of draft picks= but he had so many it did not matter(12 rds back then); as long as he hit on one third to one quarter of them he was fine. Nowadays with only 7 rds and a lot fewer picks its tougher/

 

[Clove]

Jimmy built a bada** defense, and a work horse offense. Our offense wasn't spectacular, but it was good. Our defense was relentless at time.

So Wade needs to do his job, he's a D-Coord. I will give him a pass this 1st year since these aren't his players, but this year should be different.

 

[Cowboy Bill Watts]

i think jimmah got rich off the hershel walker trade.

if memory serves, emmitt was drafted as a result of this trade.

the argument could be made that the the 90s dynasty was built off the hershel walker trade.

 

[big dog cowboy]

the argument could be made that the the 90s dynasty was built off the hershel walker trade.

Or the Charles Haley trade.

 

[NinePointOh]

The idea that signing free agents could be a bad thing is almost as ridiculous as the idea that the next Cowboys dynasty has to look exactly like the last one. If there's a good player who will fit in your scheme and help the team without breaking the bank, it's always beneficial to add him to the roster, regardless of whether it's through free agency, the draft, a trade, or a chloroform rag and a burlap sac.

 

[CATCH17]

I believe we have the most talented roster in the NFC and if we feel the need to overspend for 1 player then so be it.

 

[Doomsday101]

i think jimmah got rich off the hershel walker trade.

if memory serves, emmitt was drafted as a result of this trade.

the argument could be made that the the 90s dynasty was built off the hershel walker trade.

True. The Walker trade was big. I give Jimmy a lot of credit as well, Dallas built that team through the draft and a couple of players (Novacheck) through plan B free agency. One big thing Jimmy had going for him early on is many of the players we drafted were kids Jimmy knew of from his days with the Hurricanes as they were going through recruitment

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

The idea that signing free agents could be a bad thing is almost as ridiculous as the idea that the next Cowboys dynasty has to look exactly like the last one. If there's a good player who will fit in your scheme and help the team without breaking the bank, it's always beneficial to add him to the roster, regardless of whether it's through free agency, the draft, a trade, or a chloroform rag and a burlap sac.

Please reread the original premise: Old FAs who are dumped or about to be dumped (because of age, cap or injuries or loss of skills) bad.

Young, FAs who want to leave a team for greener pastures good.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

It helps to have a Jimmy around helping you build a team like that.

Oh, what could have been.

Had Jimma retired as coach and taken on the GM title or head of
scouting/personnel for the Cowboys, but that would have meant Jerra losing his ego.

Jimma had the magic touch here with Jerra (not Miami where he had an indifferent owner).

 

[tomson75]

The idea that signing free agents could be a bad thing is almost as ridiculous as the idea that the next Cowboys dynasty has to look exactly like the last one. If there's a good player who will fit in your scheme and help the team without breaking the bank, it's always beneficial to add him to the roster, regardless of whether it's through free agency, the draft, a trade, or a chloroform rag and a burlap sac.

Exactly.

 

[tomson75]

Please reread the original premise: Old FAs who are dumped or about to be dumped (because of age, cap or injuries or loss of skills) bad.

Young, FAs who want to leave a team for greener pastures good.

Old FA's that are still twice the player that we currently employ at that respective position, and that will come relatively cheap, GOOD.

i.e. Zach Thomas

Young FA's that would clearly put us at another level, albeit expensive. GOOD if your careful.

i.e. Roy Williams, Larry Fitzgerald.

Young FA's that are taking advantage of the market FA class at their position. BAD.

i.e. Bernard Berrian.

 

[Temo]

Dynasties in any sport are built the same way: Taking advantage of market inefficiencies through superior talent evaluation.

For example:

1. Tony Romo. Obviously, he was "mispriced" by the market". Being able to pick up a franchise QB without spending a draft pick is huge. Saves that draft pick for other stuff.

2. Terrell Owens. You might not remember, but NO ONE wanted TO after he left the Eagles. We got him discounted and he's produced. (And yes, he is paid well, but the structure of his contract was such that we didn't have to risk much to aquire him).

3. Marion Barber. 3rd Round pick for a top 5 or top 10 back in the NFL? Astounding.

4. Marc Columbo. Actually my favorite OL on this team, we got him when no one else wanted him due to injury history and he's produced real well.

5. Ken Hamlin. Got him on a 1 year contract for not a lot of money and he made the pro bowl (though I think there were more deserving Safeties, he was certainly worth more than he was paid this past season).

And there's a few more examples too, like Jason Hatcher and Jay Ratliff. But the real gist of the arguement is that in a salary cap system like the NFL, everyone has the same amount of resources to deploy in talent aquisition... so the only way to build a consistent dynasty is to be able to get players for less than they are really worth.

This is pretty much what the two most successful teams in recent history have done (the colts and the Pats). One of them did it though the draft (the colts) and the other through FA and trades (the Pats). Although both have used elements of both (the pats drafting Tom Brady, the colts trading for Booger McFarland).

 

[superpunk]

Mike Ditka was 30 years old when we added him. Roger Staubach acknowledged in a recent radio interview that he, and the attitude and toughness that h brought to the Cowboys, was a huge reason for their victory in 1971, when Ditka was 32 years old.

The most recent dynasty (if you're still inclined to call it that) has been built on bringing in old, smart, nasty LBs who can make the critical stop when it's needed. Ignoring those facts is just as asinine as suggesting that the way the Cowboys were built in the early 90s is the only way to build a team, or suggesting that we aren't ALREADY building the team that way and just need a little something extra to push us over the top.

 

[Doomsday101]

Oh, what could have been.

Had Jimma retired as coach and taken on the GM title or head of
scouting/personnel for the Cowboys, but that would have meant Jerra losing his ego.

Jimma had the magic touch here with Jerra (not Miami where he had an indifferent owner).

Jimmy had that title in Maimi and has nothing to show for it. Jimmy himself said he was ready to move on regardless of what took place with Jerry. In Johnson career he has never remained with any team for more than 5 years

 

[Cowboy Bill Watts]

Or the Charles Haley trade.

yep!! forgot about that one.


the difference in th team's defensive intensity with and without haley was amazing

 

[mmillman]

Jimmy also had the number 1 pick in Aikman. He also inherited Walker whom he used to fleece Minnesota. Most teams hit bottom then rebuild around cornerstones. The current team can build around Romo on offense and Ware on defense.

The needs as I see them are speed on offense, keep the OL together.

Defense needs Roy Williams to play better or go bye bye.

 

[NinePointOh]

Please reread the original premise: Old FAs who are dumped or about to be dumped (because of age, cap or injuries or loss of skills) bad.

Young, FAs who want to leave a team for greener pastures good.

Yes, I got it. My point was that the criteria should have very little to do with who a guy is or why he's available. If he's a good player who fits the scheme and can help us for an acceptable price, he's a good add.

Now, granted, when all other things are equal, a young player can help more (or, at least, for a longer period of time) than an old player, but that doesn't mean you can just categorically reject every free agent who's over a particular age, which your premise seems to imply.

 

[JakeCamp12]

That dynasty team had players like Haley, Ken Norton Jr. , Irvin and Tui that had more mental toughness than most of the current roster combined. This team has tons of talent but does not understand how to go for the throat. It needs some fire and some mental toughness to get over the hump. I really thought RW was going to be that guy, but he is soft and thin skinned...