Gosselin: Cowboys still bottoming out since Jimmy Johnson's exit; here's why ...

Cotton

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Gosselin: Cowboys still bottoming out since Jimmy Johnson's exit; here's why ...

By Rick Gosselin , Staff Columnist

Jimmy Johnson opened the championship window for the Cowboys in the 1990s. But the Green Bay Packers closed it.

The Packers did that by winning in April. And the same problem that haunted the Cowboys at the close of their 1990s dynasty continues to haunt them two decades later -- an inability to find players in the later rounds of the draft.

Let's go back to Johnson. He understood the value of first-, second- and third-round picks. Those are the premium rounds -- the rounds you build a contender. Those are the rounds you find a Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Russell Maryland, Daryl Johnston, Darren Woodson, Mark Stepnoski and Erik Williams. All were Johnson draft picks who become starters and Pro Bowlers on Super Bowl championship teams.

But Johnson also understood the later rounds of the draft were not throwaway rounds. There is value to be found if you look hard enough to find it. Johnson found Tony Tolbert in the fourth round, Leon Lett and Brock Marion in seventh rounds and Larry Brown in the 12th. Tolbert, Lett and Marion all became Pro Bowlers and Brown a Super Bowl MVP.

Anyone who watches college football regularly on television Saturday afternoons can pick players in the first few rounds of a draft. You see the best players on the best teams, the Heisman Trophy winners and the All-Americas. Their greatness is easy to spot.

It's finding the players whose skills may not be as polished who can transform a contender into a champion. You find those players in rounds 4-7, the traditional second-day draft picks. Success in those rounds can make a good draft great.

That's where Packers general manager Ron Wolf excelled, which explains why he so quickly tilted the balance of power away from Dallas to Green Bay in the mid-1990s. Wolf was the best second-day drafter in the history of the planet. A Hall of Fame drafter and builder, in fact.

Wolf spent 11 years as general manager of the Packers from 1991-2001. During that time, he drafted nine players from rounds 4-7 who would become Pro Bowlers. Six would start in Green Bay's back-to-back Super Bowls in 1996-97. Donald Driver, a seventh-round pick in 1999, would become the all-time leading receiver in franchise history.

In the 20 drafts since hoisting their last Lombardi Trophy in January 1996, the Cowboys have chosen 103 players from rounds 4-7. Only three became Pro Bowlers: running back Marion Barber, nose tackle Jay Ratliff and kicker Nick Folk.

Bradie James and Chris Canty in 2003 and Doug Free in 2007 were quality second-day selections. But beyond that, the impact players have been few and far between, which helps explain why the Cowboys have not been back to an NFC title game since 1995 and have managed to win only three playoff games in the last 20 years. There have been way too many Mike Luckys, Tyson Walters, Skyler Greens, Isaiah Stanbacks, Sam Youngs and Matt Johnsons drafted late to slow the winning down.

With the change in draft format from a two- to three-day affair, the third day is now the cleanup day with rounds 4-7. And lately those rounds have been a particular struggle for the Cowboys. The Cowboys haven't produced a Pro Bowler in rounds 4-7 since Folk in 2007. That was nine drafts ago.

There were Pro Bowlers to be found. Thirty-eight of them in fact, including the NFL's leading receiver Antonio Bryant, 1,000-yard rushers Latavius Murray and Devonta Freeman, pass rushers Geno Atkins and Everson Griffen and pass defenders Richard Sherman and Josh Norman. Twenty-five teams have found a Pro Bowl player since 2008 in rounds 4-7. But not the Cowboys.

Dwayne Harris was a nice find in the sixth round in 2011. But he was a special-teamer. Kyle Wilber, Anthony Hitchens and James Hanna have been quality role players. But impact? The last player the Cowboys drafted in the later rounds with any appreciable impact was Orlando Scandrick in the fifth round in 2008.

That was eight drafts ago.

In that time, the Seahawks have added Sherman and safety Kam Chancellor with late-round picks. The NFL champion Denver Broncos had four late-round picks start for them in the Super Bowl last February, including end Malik Jackson, who commanded an $85.5 million contract from Jacksonville in free agency this offseason. The NFC East champion Washington Redskins had three late-round draft picks start for them, including quarterback Kirk Cousins, halfback Alfred Morris and cornerback Bashaud Breeland.

The Cowboys have finally figured out the top of the draft, landing Dez Bryant, Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, Zack Martin and Byron Jones in first rounds since 2010, Sean Lee and DeMarcus Lawrence in second rounds and DeMarco Murray in the third.

Now it's the bottom of the draft that needs fixing. All rounds matter in a draft, not just the premium ones.
 

VA Cowboy

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Have been doing much better in the first round. Have hit on a few on day two, but we still have more misses and day 3 has been abysmal. Only reason we even have a chance at the playoffs is due to our undrafted QB and the first round picks.
 

Genghis Khan

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The talent on this team is not a huge issue. There are some deficiencies, but that's true of every single team.

And for the next Couple of years They should be ahead of the game at quarterback with Romo.

The real problem is coaching. I truly believe that.
 

Rev

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The talent on this team is not a huge issue. There are some deficiencies, but that's true of every single team.

And for the next Couple of years They should be ahead of the game at quarterback with Romo.

The real problem is coaching. I truly believe that.
:jerry
 

Genghis Khan

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Well, yeah long term there's no question Jerry is the problem. And Jerry is the one who foolishly hitched his wagon to Garrett for close to a decade so it definitely all comes back to him.
 

Rev

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Well, yeah long term there's no question Jerry is the problem. And Jerry is the one who foolishly hitched his wagon to Garrett for close to a decade so it definitely all comes back to him.
I was going more with a "you are correct" interpretation but I will take Jerry into the factor as well.
 

Cotton

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The talent on this team is not a huge issue. There are some deficiencies, but that's true of every single team.

And for the next Couple of years They should be ahead of the game at quarterback with Romo.

The real problem is coaching. I truly believe that.
Absolutely.
 

VA Cowboy

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Coaching is a huge issue and has been. The main problem continues to be Jerry's refusal to hire a top notch HC. I do think missing on talent after the first round and later in the draft has been a problem too, but having Jerry friendly HC's has been the primary problem.
 

ravidubey

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The real problem is coaching. I truly believe that.
It's a huge problem. We're better off than when Campo was here, but not by much. The HC gets undermined way too often.

Players and GM's need to be walking on eggshells around the coach. He's not anyone's buddy and his friendship is only earned through a lot of blood and sweat and big wins.

Jerry felt scared to be put in his place by Bill Parcells because Bill knew his shit and called people out on BS.

He still undermined him once with the TO signing, but that's nothing compared with the routine slapping around he deals Garrett.
 

L.T. Fan

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It's a huge problem. We're better off than when Campo was here, but not by much. The HC gets undermined way too often.

Players and GM's need to be walking on eggshells around the coach. He's not anyone's buddy and his friendship is only earned through a lot of blood and sweat and big wins.

Jerry felt scared to be put in his place by Bill Parcells because Bill knew his shit and called people out on BS.

He still undermined him once with the TO signing, but that's nothing compared with the routine slapping around he deals Garrett.
I don't think you can blame Garretts demeanor and personnel interaction on Jones. Garrett wants to be a buddy big brother type to the players. He couldn't get tough if someone threatened his mama.
 

Cotton

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I don't think you can blame Garretts demeanor and personnel interaction on Jones. Garrett wants to be a buddy big brother type to the players. He couldn't get tough if someone threatened his mama.
You mean, kinda like Jerry?
 

L.T. Fan

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You mean, kinda like Jerry?
Yes. He acts the same but I think that is his preferred mode and he would be that way regardless of Jones. He doesn't seem to be able to be an ass chewer when needed.
 

5Ringzz

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Coaching is a huge issue and has been. The main problem continues to be Jerry's refusal to hire a top notch HC. I do think missing on talent after the first round and later in the draft has been a problem too, but having Jerry friendly HC's has been the primary problem.
If you can't coach the talent and game plan it for success? It won't matter who you draft. Poor game plans and inadequate in-game adjustments can often render even superstars to appear just average. So how the hell can anyone expect late round picks to be anything more than average, with a coaching staff that has been largely below average over the past 5+ years?

Although clapping your way to on field production sounds and looks good in theory?

It rarely works with games on the line
 

ravidubey

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I don't think you can blame Garretts demeanor and personnel interaction on Jones. Garrett wants to be a buddy big brother type to the players. He couldn't get tough if someone threatened his mama.
I wholeheartedly agree. Jerry chose someone he had sway over on a daily basis. Garrett tolerates it because he's not confrontational and because he gets to coach the Cowboys. It's a symbiotic relationship that in the end benefits no one-- except Garrett's bank account.
 
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