Richard Paolinelli
One of the bigger storylines in the NFC East this year is that Dan Snyder has finally been shown the exit from the NFL. Josh Harris, a 58-year-old billionaire and long-time fan of the franchise, is the managing partner of the Washington Commanders’ new ownership group. He’s also indicated that the name Commanders is not long …
For the second time in the 1980s, the NFL players went out on strike after the first two games of the 1987 season. But unlike the 1982 strike, which saw seven weeks scratched from the schedule, this time the NFL owners weren’t playing. Cancelling only the Week 3 games, the NFL fielded teams of mostly replacement …
The Cowboys entered the 1986 with high hopes and with very good reason. They would have the dynamic running back duo of Tony Dorsett and Herschel Walker to pound the football. They also brought in Paul Hackett to rejuvenate the passing game with quarterback Danny White. In the draft they added UCLA wide receiver Mike Sherrard …
The Cowboys came off of missing the playoffs in 1984 with an otherwise uneventful draft in the spring of 1985. They did net a starting guard in Crawford Ker in the third round. They also grabbed Herschel Walker in the fifth round. Walker would not see action until 1986, but he would prove to be a …
The 1984 season was the Cowboys’ silver anniversary in the NFL. They had much to celebrate about their past. There would be very little to celebrate about the future for the next few years to come. The team marked the occasion with silver stars emblazoned with the number “25” on the left breast of their uniforms. …
When the Cowboys signed undrafted free agent Hunter Luepke out of North Dakota State he faced long odds to make the roster. His versatility was his best positive to offer. He played both fullback and halfback for the Bison. Luepke was a punishing runner with the ball. He was also a good receiver and a blocking …
“No, Danny, no!” If you were watching the Cowboys play on television on Dec. 11, 1983, as I was, you already know what happened. For those of you that weren’t, here’s the 411. After three straight years of losing in the NFC Championship game, the Cowboys stormed out of the gate in 1983. Dallas won its …
With the sting of a second-straight NFC Championship game loss still fresh, the Cowboys got even more bad news prior to the start of the 1982 season. Defensive stars Charlie Waters and D.D. Lewis both retired in the off-season. The draft class turned out to be mostly a bust as well. The Cowboys’ first round pick, …
The Cowboys – coming off the disappointing ending of the previous campaign — reloaded for the 1981 season. They added offensive lineman Howard Richards (1st) and Glenn Titensor (3rd) in the draft and defensive backs Michael Downs and Everson Walls as undrafted free agents. By the time camp packed up the Cowboys were ready to reclaim …
With Roger Staubach’s retirement in April, the Danny White Era officially began in Dallas. The biggest question that loomed over the Cowboys: Could he get it done, could he replace the legendary Staubach? Dallas added running backs James Jones (3rd) and Timmy Newsome (6th) along with quarterback Gary Hogeboom (5th) in the draft that spring. They …
As my colleague Shane Taylor reported this week, several NFL players gathered on Zoom. The subject was the declining market for running backs. This meeting was followed in short order by Giants’ running back Saquon Barkley signing a one-year contract for $11 million. A far cry below what most people expected he’d get. Former Cowboys running …
Despite the disappointing outcome of Super Bowl XIII months before, the Cowboys entered the 1979 season with high hopes. Despite his age (38) Roger Staubach appeared to be at the top of his game. But as the team prepared to play its 20th season there were some issues. Jethro Pugh had retired. Charlie Waters would miss …
Dallas began its title defense in the draft with three solid picks – but only managed to keep two of them in the fold. The Cowboys selected defensive end Larry Bethea in the first round, and defensive back Dennis Thurman in the 11th. But the player they let get away was their second round pick out …
Still stinging from the upset loss to the Rams a few weeks earlier, the Cowboys committed grand theft draft pick in May of 1977. The Cowboys sent their first round pick of that draft and three second rounders to Seattle for its second pick in the first round. After Tampa Bay selected USC running back Ricky …
Coming off the tough loss to the Steelers in Super Bowl X in January, the Cowboys went right to work on getting back to the title game. The way Lynn Swann had carved up the secondary put Wyoming defensive back Aaron Kyle on the Cowboys’ radar. He was selected 27th in the first round. The Cowboys …
The Dallas Cowboys wasted little time shaking off the disappointment of the 1974 season. They literally had a monster draft in the spring of 1975. Or, should we say “Manster” draft? With the second pick of the first round via the trade that sent Craig Morton to the Giants, Dallas selected Randy White. Later in the …
The Dallas Cowboys extended their consecutive winning season streak to nine straight in 1974. And that’s about all that was good about the year. Well, that and two of their draft picks that spring. Ed “Too Tall” Jones (1st) and Danny White (3rd) were selected by the Cowboys and they would play huge roles in the …
Aside from a lack of drama (Duane Thomas) and injuries (Roger Staubach and Bob Lilly, who played the entire 1972 season injured), 1973 was pretty much a repeat of 1972. The Cowboys did have a monster haul in the draft in 1973 though. Dallas drafted Billy Joe Dupree (1st), Golden Richards (2nd), and Harvey Martin (3rd). …
If the 1971 season could best be described as chaos that led to a championship, then the 1972 season was turmoil that led to disappointment. The Duane Thomas saga continued to spiral downward in the offseason. Thomas had refused to speak to players, coaches, or the media the entire 1971 season. The Cowboys finally had enough …
Coming off the stinging loss in Super Bowl V in January, the Dallas Cowboys were hearing one common refrain. The Cowboys can’t win the big game. The loss hung over the team for the entire offseason. Even the fact that a new stadium in Irving was nearing completion couldn’t chase away the doom and gloom. The …
Chaos might be the best word to describe the Dallas Cowboys as they began their second decade in the NFL. Starting with their first draft pick in 1970. With the merger of the NFL and AFL to start the 1970 season, the league was split into two conferences. The 10 AFL teams would populate the AFC. …