Cowboys 1st & 10: All-Time Top 60; Scrimmage Talk

FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys have been a part of the NFL since 1960, so you can expect a lot of ‘60th anniversary’ celebrations during the 2020 season. So, after talking with Mike Fisher here at CowboysSI.com, I decide to do one of my own and select the 60 Greatest Dallas Cowboys.

This should go well. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

1) THE 60 GREATEST We’re talking about the 60 Greatest Cowboys. How did I get to this list? Well, I used the following criteria:

Player honors — Pro Football Hall of Fame, Cowboys Ring of Honor, All-Pro selections, Pro Bowl selections, MVP awards, etc… That has to be a big part of the process.

Team success — Pro football is a team game, and as such every player on the list played a part in a successful era in Cowboys history (though success is, to some degree, in the eyes of the beholder).

Time with Cowboys — This is important. As part of this process I only took into account a player’s time WITH the Cowboys. There have been some great players that have come through Dallas, but some of them only spent a few years with the team. Depending upon how successful they and the team were during their time, that influenced whether they made the list or not. That also includes their impact and role in that success, whether there are statistics associated with that or not.

Feedback from experts — Throughout the process I consulted with two writers that have been around the Cowboys since the 1990s — Mike Fisher and Richie Whitt (with a combined 60 years covering this team!) Their feedback, along with the bios that I wrote on each player, played a role in where players were ranked.

Three takeaways from the process:

· This was incredibly difficulty. I spent two weeks going over each player’s bio, accomplishments and where they fit into Cowboys history. I had a list of about 90 players to start with. I had to whittle it down to 60.

· The Top 20 to 25 players weren’t that hard to pick out. But once I got past that point I probably reorganized the list twice.

· You’re going to love this list. And you’re going to hate this list. However you feel about it, the Cowboys have one of the most passionate fan bases around and I expect feedback. You can hit me up on Twitter @PostinsPostcard. Whether you like it or hate it, I want to hear from you.

And, I want to give YOU a chance to vote.

Each day, starting Sept. 1, we’ll post part of the list, starting with Nos. 56-60 and working our way to the top. That will take us to Sept. 12. Then, on Sept. 13, we’ll post a FAN vote ranking the Top 60 Cowboys, based on fan voting. Fan voting will end on Sept. 10. I need time to do math.

Embedded in the list each day (and on my Twitter feed at PostinsPostcard periodically) you’ll find a link to a survey where you can rank your Top 60 Cowboys, from 1-60. The list will include ALL of the players that I considered for my Top 60, and you can rank them yourself. Come Sept. 13, we’ll publish the Fan Top 60, based on all of the rankings.

So, if you want a voice, take the survey. Let me know who your ‘Greatest Cowboys’ are.

Enjoy the Top 60. We’ll start on Sept. 1.

2) OH, GOSH IT’S THAT EARL THOMAS STUFF AGAIN

For those who know him, it is a sad observation to acknowledge, but Earl Thomas has very rapidly devolved from “the solution” into “the problem.” He is suddenly but maybe not permanently the latter for the Baltimore Ravens, who thought a year ago they were adding a team leader and future Hall-of-Famer ... and are now scratching their heads over all the things that have turned sour.

Should the Dallas Cowboys be scratching around here as well?

That’s how our Mike Fisher framed his first story about the former All-Pro safety, whom the Ravens released after Thomas’ practice altercation with a teammate became the last straw during a tumultuous tenure with the Ravens.

Fish outlined the whole thing here.

So Fish followed the bread crumbs. The in-house meeting in Dallas between head coach Mike McCarthy and the Cowboys brass about Thomas, which led to no decision about whether to bring Thomas to Dallas. The ‘silent’ approach to the Thomas situation led by Cowboys COO Stephen Jones. The Cowboys saying ‘not now’ to bringing Thomas to Dallas, which came from Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones on Tuesday. One NFL analyst, Chris Simms, saying that the Cowboys should continue to say ‘no’ to bringing Thomas to Dallas, saying he isn’t an upgrade.

Where do we stand this weekend? Well, Thomas still isn’t a Cowboy. He still isn’t a member of a single NFL team. So the door remains open.

3) COWBOY MAVEN+ LAUNCHES

Hey everyone,

Welcome to Cowboy Maven +, brought to you by Sports Illustrated and Maven. This is going to be Cowboy Maven's premium community, where we will be curating premium-caliber content specifically for this room, as well as dropping our most exclusive content.

Join now and gain full access to SPORTS ILLUSTRATED + including:

· Dallas Cowboys Analysis and In-Depth Reporting

· Exclusive Access to the Dallas Cowboys Premium Community

· Award-Winning Magazine Sports Illustrated

To sign up, just click here.

And as part of Cowboy Maven …

4) TEAGUE’S TAKE: WOULD EARL THOMAS RUIN COWBOYS LOCKER ROOM?

Teague’s Take is one of the great new pieces of content in Cowboy Maven +.

The question is about safety Earl Thomas, who has always wanted to play for the Dallas Cowboys. The answer comes from a safety who did play for Dallas, and the answer is an "if.''

This week on the ‘Teague’s Take Podcast’ with former Dallas Cowboys and Alabama great George Teague, he and host "Indy Car Tim'' address the availability of Thomas, who we and others have linked to the Cowboys each time, over the last two seasons, he’s become available.

Check out the podcast here and become a member of Cowboy Maven + today.

Also in Cowboys Maven + …

5) 'HEARTBREAKING': COWBOYS TYRON SMITH TALKS ON ISSUES OF THE DAY

Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith has for a decade represented the Dallas Cowboys in many ways — most of them in ways that don't include much public speaking.

But his Thursday visit with the media here inside The Star allowed him to express his view - and maybe his team's view - on the issue of the day.

Listen to Smith talk about issues like racial justice by clicking here. This compelling video is part of the Cowboys Maven + package.

6) THIS WEEK AT TRAINING CAMP

A month ago, we broke the story of the Dallas Cowboys' plan to stage their traditional and annual Blue-White Scrimmage in a non-traditional way, our July 30 scoop explaining that the break in training camp here inside The Star in Frisco — an unusual-enough "stay-at-home'' camp as the result of COVID-19 — would come in Blue-White scrimmage to be staged at AT&T Stadium, on the evening of August 30. (And here we are, with Fish inside the stadium today and tonight.)

On Tuesday morning, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones appeared on 105.3 The Fan to suggest that the workout is on ... but that fans are out.

Cowboys defensive tackle Dontari Poe said on Tuesday that he plans to kneel during the National Anthem this season and looks forward to speaking to owner and general manager Jerry Jones, who said earlier this summer that he’s going to have an open-door policy for players to talk with him about issues like systemic racism and social justice. Fish also had Jones’ response to Poe’s intent.

The hard work of training camp is leading to potential position changes, especially in the secondary. Fish’s sources told him that there is plenty of jockeying for position in the secondary, and that one 2020 draft choice is playing his way into the mix — and it’s not the selection you think it is.

Running back Ezekiel Elliott wants a Super Bowl ring, and if he has to cede carries to his backup, Tony Pollard, to do it, he’s all for it.

On Thursday Fish’s notebook including pieces on the play of the defensive line, the secondary, tight end Blake Jarwin and impact rookies.

Fish kept up with injuries, too, such as the leg injury to backup offensive lineman Mitch Hyatt, a player the Cowboys are high on as depth for its talented offensive line.

7) COWBOYS BLITZCAST: 'PROBLEMS!' - D-LINE'S UNBELIEVABLE UPSIDE

The 2020 Dallas Cowboys will try to make history in part due to a scary D-line ... and the Cowboys already have some history stored away for forever as well.

Welcome to the ‘The Blitzcast – A Dallas Cowboys Podcast by The Drunk Sports Podcast and DSP Media, in partnership with CowboysSI.com. “BigRed” Lance Dorsett, Timm “IndyCarTim” Hamm, Colby “Whiskey” Sapp, are your hosts alongside board-op Chris “The Bus” Bussell as we discuss all things Dallas Cowboys and all things NFL. Special thanks to our sponsors, CowboysSI.com and The Maverick Bar (themaverickbar.com) in Carrollton!

On this episode the hosts kick around the news about Drew Pearson being a senior finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the changes on the defensive line due to the injury to Gerald McCoy and the pieces of Cowboys history in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

8) A COWBOYS SEASON PREVIEW

Our Bri Amaranthus filed her Cowboys season preview earlier this week. Give it a read and a listen here.

9) WHITT'S END: COWBOYS PRACTICE INDOORS - BUT UNDER A DARK CLOUD

From our Richie Whitt:

Stick to sports?! Looks like you’re going to have to re-direct your sad, misdirected, punchless tropes to, ya know, all of sports. Because this year in general and Thursday in particular, the athletes who play the games told you loud and clear that there are things in this country much bigger than sports. And they’ll be damned if they’re sticking to them. Or even playing them.

The Cowboys practiced Thursday morning. And Friday morning. We can certainly pluck out some good news from these workouts.

But generally, here's betting these will be recorded as two of their worst, most distracted workouts of the season.

Said safety Darian Thompson, “Practicing was obviously a team decision. But we are not shedding a blind eye to the things that are occurring in this world today.”

Read Whitt’s End by clicking here.

10) TWEET OF THE WEEK

In 1983, Donald Trump is looking at sports teams.

He buys the New Jersey Generals of the USFL for $9 million instead of the Dallas Cowboys at $50 million.

The USFL folds two years later.

The Cowboys are now worth $6.1 billion, according to @Sportico. pic.twitter.com/iJiM1nReRQ
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) August 25, 2020

Let’s all breathe a sigh of relief, shall we?