#1. They had the luckiest trade of the century. 1985 5th round pick Herschel walker had ran for 737 & 891 yards his first two years and has a big year in 88 and gains over 2000 all purpose yards.

Vikings gave up 6 draft picks and FIVE SOLID PLAYERS (1 RB and 4 new defensive players)!

Possibly the beneficial trade in NFL history, and also why its hard to use this model today unless you can get a trade like this to go your way (Walker ran over 1000 yards after this once btw so Vikings got really screwed on the deal)

Cowboys also had the best three year stretch of first round draft picks in history, again making it highly unlikely for anyone to duplicate unless they can draft Hall of Famers in three consecutive drafts.

88 – Michael Irvin
89 – Troy Aikman
90 – Emmitt Smith

You beat me to the punch on all the Jerry Jones data.

However, the “Cowboys” didn’t clean house. Jerry Jones himself, did. He came in and cleaned house and used a ton of his own money to clean up the big D. Their organization had become stagnant under Bum Bright. Jones started axing people was in coaching and execs FIRST. He got to the players eventually. This is what needs to go down in KC. Carl, Herm, all the assistant coaches (except Krumrie IMHO) all need to bizz-ounce. That’s the only way we will keep from running this team further into the ground and more under the cap.

The Herschel Walker trade is what made that Dallas dynasty, and is also why you have never seen such a blockbuster trade since. Teams learned they cannot mortgage their future for 1 player, no matter how many pushups he does a day.

1986 7-9
1987 7-8
1988 3-13
After the 1988 season Jerry Jones bought the Cowboys. He then promptly fired Tom Landry. Now remember Tom Landry was the ONLY coach the Cowboys ever had. He was God-like in Dallas. Jerry hired a college coach. Jimmy Johnson. The things they said about Jerry and Jimmy were 10 times worse than you hear about Carl and Herm. There were actual death threats made. Unfortunately, the 1989 year did nothing to convince anyone. The 1989 Cowboys look very familiar to the 2008 Chiefs.

1989 1-15 (Aikman didn’t even PLAY in the only win because of injury)
1990 7-9
1991 11-5 (Again, Aikman was hurt and missed a few games) The Cowboys lost this year in the first round of the playoffs.
1992 13-3 (Super Bowl Champions)
1993 12-4 (Super Bowl Champions AFTER a 0-2 start)
1994 12-4 (Lost in the AFC Championship game with Barry Switzer as the Head Coach)
1995 12-4 (Super Bowl Champions)

Jerry and Jimmy did exactly what the Chiefs have done this year. They blew up the team and started over. They even traded THEIR best player to Minnesota for draft picks. They built this team THROUGH THE DRAFT.

I’m not saying that Herm Edwards is as good as Jimmy Johnson. But remember this. The things being said about Jimmy are the EXACT things being said about Herm. Actually, I think think the criticism towards Johnson was WORSE if you can imagine that. I was in Dallas during this time and it was ugly. The Cowboys were receiving NATIONAL criticism, whereas the Chiefs criticism is mostly within the Chiefs Nation.

And I’m not saying Brodie Croyle is another Troy Aikman. But Aikman had the “injury-prone” tag put on him during those lean years.

Those lean years were very QUICKLY forgotten after the first Super Bowl Championship.

My point. The blue print the Chiefs are using is VERY SIMILAR to what the Cowboys did. Let’s all hope that we see similar results in the years ahead. To be honest, this is a different direction for Carl Peterson.

It may not happen, but I’m a glass is half full type of guy!

Go Chiefs.

I also wonder what some people where saying of Herm when we beat Denver.