one player that always gives me fits when making these lists is Deion Sanders.
none of us ever really put him on our lists, and the reasoning being that he "isn't a true Dallas Cowboy".. i mean, as far as talent and greatness goes, he's arguably the greatest defensive back of all-time.. he's an all-time Top 20 player in the NFL at any position at the least.. so it comes down to whether we consider him a Cowboy..
well, consider these things:
1. He spent exactly 5 years with the Falcons and 5 years with the Cowboys.
2. He made 4 Pro Bowls with Dallas, he made 3 with Atlanta.
3. He made 3 All Pro teams with Dallas, he made 2 with Atlanta.
4. He won 1 Super Bowl with Dallas, he made 0 with Atlanta. And he was a vital and important piece of the 1995 Super Bowl team.
5. He makes his home in Dallas and by all appearances, seems to consider himself a Cowboy more than any other team.
6. It was in Dallas that he became that famous all around threat, with his season of playing WR regularly in 1996.
7. His fame and notoriety shot to the stratosphere in coming to Dallas. He went from superstar to SUPERSTAR.
So why do all of us (myself included) not list him in our "greatest Cowboys ever" list? I think it's because, even though he is an all-time talent and he may be considered a Cowboy first and foremost, he only played with Dallas for five years. That's a major strike against him. But then, Gale Sayers only really played with the Bears for five years, and they consider him one of their all-time greats. Sayers played 68 total games as a Bear, and Deion played 63 total games as a Cowboy.
In conclusion, I see both sides of the argument and I go back and forth. If you consider him a Cowboy, he has to make these lists. And he considers himself a Cowboy. Should we? I don't know the answer to that.
side note: And seriously, speaking of great Cowboys CB's, why does nobody ever mention Mel Renfro?? He is the forgotten Cowboys legend in my mind.