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The Dallas Cowboys, like 31 other NFL teams, were presented with multiple opportunities to select Tom Brady after the turn of the millennium. Same as the rest, they repeatedly eschewed the little-known Michigan quarterback, whom the New England Patriots snagged at No. 199 overall.
At the time, the Cowboys owned four signal-callers, including Super Bowl-winner Troy Aikman and third-string backup Clint Stoerner, who signed as an undrafted free agent. Their 2000 rookie class consisted of three cornerbacks, a running back and linebacker, a bare-bones haul following capital-draining trades for veteran WRs Joey Galloway and James McKnight.
To hear owner/general manager Jerry Jones tell it, as he did in a radio interview Friday, two days before the 6-4 Cowboys meet the 9-1 Patriots in Foxboro, Dallas never considered Brady at any point during the draft — a non-decision that altered the course of the franchise nearly two decades later.
“That’s why I decided to learn from that mistake and take Dak Prescott with my second pick in the fourth round (in 2016),” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan, per The Athletic.
Jerry has a funny way of rationalizing things. What he failed to mention in that brief remark was that Prescott wasn’t his top target in the 2016 draft; that would be Paxton Lynch, whom the Denver Broncos traded up to steal at No. 26 overall.
The event being a total crapshoot, it was a blessing in disguise for Jones.
Lynch flamed out spectacularly with the Broncos and, after a cup of coffee in Seattle, had to settle for a Steelers practice-squad gig (he’s since been promoted to the active roster). Prescott, meanwhile, is a two-time Pro Bowler who currently leads the NFL in passing and appears destined to score a record-setting contract. At 26, he’s just now entering his prime, barely scratching the surface of franchise cornerstone talent.
Of course, Dak (and arguably every QB in NFL history) pales in comparison to Brady, who’s captured six Super Bowls with four Super Bowl MVP trophies to his name. The 42-year-old is a future first-ballot Hall of Famer — the greatest thrower of the football to walk the planet, Prescott even admits.
“People say the GOAT. He’s the GOAT. He is. I don’t think it’s comparable, the things he’s done,” he said Thursday, per The Athletic. “But for me, it’s about going in and focusing on my gameplan … I’m not worried about me vs. him type of deal. It’s me vs. this defense, him vs. our defense.”
Try as Jones might, there’s no proper justification for passing on Brady. The Cowboys haven’t taken home the Lombardi since 1995, which also happens to be the last time the club advanced beyond the NFC Divisional Round. This little doubt that Brady’s GOAT-ness would’ve have transferred to North Texas had Dallas used a flier like New England did.
Hindsight hurts. But here’s some solace for Jones: Plenty of fellow shot-callers sympathize with his regret.
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Jerry Tells Story of Nearly Hiring Bill Belichick
It’s been a week of painstaking admissions for Jones as his Cowboys prepare to face the Pats. On Tuesday, he revealed the scenario where Bill Belichick dons the star rather than the Flying Elvis — a scenario that came thisclose to materializing.
Appearing on 105.3 The Fan, Jones anecdotally explained the one-off chance to hire Belichick following his 1995 firing as the Cleveland Browns’ head coach. Forgoing the now-legendary New England Patriots mastermind, who approached Jones about a job, is rued to this day.
Per The Athletic’s Jon Machota:
After Bill Belichick was fired by the Cleveland Browns in the mid-90s, he ran into Jerry Jones at a ski resort. Jones said Bill told the Cowboys owner not to forget about him if he had an opening in the future. Jones says he still thinks about that from time to time.
Not many know or remember Belichick as Cleveland’s head man due to his unprecedented success in New England. He spent five years with the Browns and was dismissed after compiling a — gasp! — losing record, going 36-44 across 80 games. Ironically, Belichick joined the Pats in 1996 as an assistant under Bill Parcells before bolting the next year to the New York Jets. He was selected as Parcells’ successor in 1999 but infamously tendered his resignation (on a napkin, no less) after only one day.
In 2000, Belichick was hired by the Patriots and given control of the roster, effectively making him their general manager. We all know what’s transpired: 234 wins and three AP NFL Coach of the Year awards to pair with the aforementioned championships.
The Cowboys have had five coaches in that same span. Chan Gailey held the gig from 1998-99 before giving way to Dave Campo (2000-02), Parcells (2003-06), Wade Phillips (2007-2010) and Jason Garrett (2010-present).
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL