One of the most important positions on the football field is the Quarterback and it’s the General Manager’s responsibility to find our Field General.

With this in mind, Jerry Jones has a failed approach towards developing the QB position and it has lead to the Cowboys on-field failures.

Jerry has failed the Cowboys in two main ways:
1. Failing for years at lucking his way into a Franchise QB
2. Failing to use the NFL Draft to acquire/develop QB prospects.

These two reasons have directly lead to the Cowboys on-field failures while Aikman was in obvious decline and after Aikman was cut.
- This is one of several reasons how Jerry Jones’ incompetence as GM has lead to the Cowboys’ 12-year playoff drought.

1. WHO TRIES TO LUCK INTO FINDING A FRANCHISE QB?
Ask yourself — What kind of GM gambles and tries to luck into a quality QB?

Jerry Jones does and the Cowboys have suffered because of it.

GM Jerry purposely strategized to find a QB on the cheap. An asinine strategy that has resulted into the following list of starting QBs:

– Retreads at the end of their careers like Randall Cunningham, Vinny Testaverde, Brad Johnson and Drew Bledsoe…but, hey, they came relatively cheap!
– Hoping-for-a-miracle projects like Ryan Leaf, Drew Henson and Chad Hutchinson…but, hey, they came relatively cheap!
– Journeyman like Clint Stoerner and Anthony Wright…but, hey, they came relatively cheap!

Yes, they came relatively cheap, but why? While GM Jerry was trying to find a QB on the cheap, the Cowboys on-field performance suffered…absolutely suffered.

2. NEGLECTING THE NFL DRAFT

Fact – Since 1994 (when Jerry Jones assumed control of the draft room) only one QB has been drafted (Quincy Carter)…two QBs if you count Drew Henson.

GM Jerry’s failure to invest in QBs through the draft has tremendously hurt the Cowboys. Without QB prospects to develop, GM Jerry is forced to find free-agents or projects – see above list!

To strengthen the importance of the NFL Draft, the following points will also incorporate recent playoff teams’ QB Draft History, who do realize the importance of the draft.

1. The Cowboys suffered for years because GM Jerry waited until after Aikman was cut before drafting a QB. Aikman’s decline had already been apparent for years. What was Jerry Jones waiting for?
a. GM Jerry didn’t draft a quarterback UNTIL AFTER AIKMAN WAS CUT. Aikman didn’t voluntarily retire at the top of his game like John Elway. Aikman was cut.
b. Did GM Jerry honestly think a rookie QB could step in and lead the Cowboys to the promised land?
c. As a result of GM Jerry Jones’ failure, the Cowboys started a rookie named Quincy Carter and you know the results.

As a comparison, other teams with Franchise QBs continued to draft QBs:
d. Eagles – Since McNabb, three QBs have been drafted.
e. Patriots – Since Brady, four QBs have been drafted.
f. Steelers – Since Roethlisberger, two QBs have been drafted.
g. Packers – Since Favre, nine QBS have been drafted.
h. Colts/Chargers/Giants – Since Manning, Rivers & Manning, one QB each.

2. The 2008 Cowboys suffered because GM Jerry Jones failed them. By not investing in QB in the draft, the Cowboys relied on an obviously finished Brad Johnson.
a. In 2009, GM Jerry HAS TO TRADE FOR A BACKUP (Jon Kitna)! Asinine!

As a comparison, other teams use draft picks and the back-ups win games for them:
a. Eagles – AJ Feeley wins a couple games.
b. Patriots – Tom Brady steps in when Bledsoe is injured
c. Patriots – Matt Cassel steps in when Brady is injured

3. It’s tough to find a Franchise QB, but GM Jerry makes it tougher and hurts the Cowboys by only drafting ONE QB in 14 YEARS.

As a comparison, other teams have drafted several QBs since 1994:
a. Patriots – 7
b. Steelers – 7
c. Eagles – 7
d. Cardinals – 6
e. Chargers – 6
f. Seahawks – 5
g. Giants – 5
h. Bears – 5
i. Panthers – 4
j. Colts – 2.

* You don’t need to continuously use 1st Rounders. The majority of other teams’ picks were 2nd day picks, but yielded some positives.
* Patriots –Tom Brady drafted in the 6th round…Hall of Famer.
* Patriots – Matt Cassel drafted in the 7th round. Leads Patriots to 11-5 and great trade bait.
* Eagles – AJ Feeley drafted in 5th round, steps in and wins several games. Becomes great trade bait.
* Packers – Aaron Brooks in 4th round, becomes great trade bait.
* Packers – Matt Hasselbeck in the 6th round, becomes great trade bait.
* Bears – Kyle Orton in the 4th round and is their starter.

Overall, Jerry Jones is horrible at developing Franchise QBs. Because QBs are so important to a football team, no wonder the Dallas Cowboys have suffered for so long.

The Cowboys finally got Tony Romo…but lucked into it. Catching lightning in a bottle is not a strategy, it’s asinine.

HIRE A REAL GM, JERRY!

-phildominator DCC

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