Thursday, February 11, 2016

Dallas Cowboys All-Time Best Quarterback ?



          This is a subject that definitely will have fans voicing opposition no matter what order the QB's are placed. It was Abraham Lincoln who once said, "You can't please all the people all the time." Today's topic surely comes under that catagory.
      The Dallas Morning News had this as one of their stories today and all of the following photos come from their website. My thanks go out to them for inspiring this posting..
     Let me say from the beginning for those that have not been exposed to my blog page previously,..I am a die-hard Dallas Cowboy fan dating back to 1959 when they first acquired a franchise from the National Football League..


        The Cowboys have had an abundance of players manning the quarterback spot over the years, but this posting will deal with the starting QB's and the players most associated with being the man at the controls for Dallas through the years.. In the photo above are five who fit that definition.. From the left: Don Meredith, Craig Morton, Troy Aikman, Roger Staubach, and Danny White.
       It's hard to find a place to start when you do story such as this...so why don't we just start at the beginning?

      
      In 1960 both Dallas and Minnesota were awarded franchises in the NFL and both had the option of playing the 1960 season, OR waiting for 1961 and going through the college draft. The Vikings decided to wait for 1961, but Dallas chose to play immediately. Their first roster was made up of castoffs from the other teams. A trade with the Washington Redskins brought quarterback Eddie LeBaron (above) to Dallas. He led the Cowboys from 1960 until 1963 when he retired. Dallas did not win a single game in 1960, going 0-11-1,..only a late season tie with the New York Giants brought the Cowboys their only non-loss.


        In the above photo #17 Don Meredith confers with Head Coach Tom Landry on the sidelines. Meredith actually was signed by Dallas before they even had a team, agreeing to a personal service contract with owner Clint Murchison. Meredith was with the Cowboys from 1960 to 1968, leading Dallas to the NFL Championship game with Green Bay in 1966 and 1967. He went to the Pro Bowl on 3 occasions and was the NFL's Player of the Year in 1966. Retiring from football early, Meredith went into movies and later became a fixture on Monday Night Football telecasts. Meredith's departure suddenly dropped the QB mantle on Craig Morton.


       Morton was a better QB for Dallas than most fans will remember. He was not as charismatic as Meredith but had a quick wit and a strong arm. Morton was a Cowboy from 1965 to 1974 when he was traded to the New York Giants. He led Dallas to their first ever Super Bowl game, a last second loss to the Baltimore Colts. You see his successor just over his shoulder in the above photo.... A player still revered in Dallas,...Captain Comeback!


        Following the sudden retirement of Meredith and the trade of Craig Morton, Roger Staubach was the Dallas quarterback from 1969 until 1979. He led the Cowboys to four Super Bowls (winning twice), played in 6 Pro Bowl Games, and was named to the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. In the above photo, Roger prepares to throw the famous 'Hail Mary' pass to Drew Pearson to eliminate the Vikings from the 1975 NFL Playoffs.
     

        Danny White followed Staubach as the QB of America's Team, a title put on the team by ABC Sport's Roone Arledge. Whenever there was a question of which game to show on Monday Night Football, he piped up with 'show the Cowboys...everyone in America loves them.'
       Danny White played for Dallas from 1976 to 1988.. Leading the team to the NFC Championship Game in 1980, 1981, and 1982. His overall record with the Cowboys ended with 62 wins and 32 losses.


      Troy Aikman was the number one pick in the 1989 college draft out of U.C.L.A. The Cowboys had the number one pick based on their lousy season in 1988....but Aikman would be joined by Emmit Smith, Michael Irving, and other great players to dominate the 1990's. Aikman was instrumental in leading Dallas to three Super Bowl victories, and he was voted to 6 Pro Bowls. He is a member of the NFL Hall of Fame along with Smith and Irvin.
     Aikman was forced to retire due to a series of concussions and that left Dallas to go through a series of QBs like Steve Pelluer, Vinny Testaverde, Quincy Carter, and Drew Bledsoe.
     Bledsoe was beat out at quarterback in New England by Tom Brady and was sent to Dallas in a trade. He was the starter for the 2005 and 2006 season, but a lackluster performance by Bledsoe brings us to the next QB.


     Tony Romo came to the Cowboys as a free agent that no other team in the NFL wanted in the college draft. He joined the Cowboys in 2004 after an invitation by then Head Coach Bill Parcels. Romo has been named to the Pro Bowl 4 times and is currently the franchise leader in passing yardage, and also touchdowns thrown. The knock on Romo is 'he can't win the big games.' He also has suffered an injury at the most inopportune times, leaving the team with a poor backup to take his place.
    Thanks to a 4-12 season in 2015, the Dallas Cowboys have the fourth selection in April's college draft. Three quality quarterbacks are expected to go in the first round of the draft and one of these could be headed for Dallas. With Romo expected to have one or two good seasons left in him, it might be time for Dallas to look to the future for their next quarterback.


        All photos from the Dallas Morning News.....

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