Tony Romo is a lightning rod.

When Romo first burst onto the scene in 2006, replacing an ineffective Drew Bledsoe after halftime of a Sunday night game, almost every Dallas Cowboys fan was excited.

But that was then. Now, we are in December of 2011 and the Romo defenders are much fewer and far less vocal than the Romo haters. Or, at least that is the perception.

The reason the seat Romo sits in is so hot is simple: this is the Dallas Cowboys. The Standard for QB in Dallas is Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman and Lombardi trophies. Nothing less will do.

But even when guys named Staubach and Aikman are at the helm, the Cowboys are susceptible to the backup quarterback infatuation that permeates the NFL.

Just ask Danny White.

For years, White waited patiently behind Staubach. He served as the team’s punter and backup quarterback and was a fan favorite.

Then, Staubach retired and Danny ascended the throne. He was as good as advertised, too. His numbers were extraordinary. He set a number of team records. He guided his Cowboys to three consecutive NFC title games.

Guess what Danny White did not do?

You got it! Danny never won a Super Bowl. In fact, he never won an NFC championship game. By almost any standard, Danny White forged a highly successful career for himself.

But this is not almost any standard. This is the Dallas Cowboys.

Now, back to Tony Romo and some fun facts regarding this quarterback so many Cowboys fans and Cowboys haters love to deride:

• Tony Romo is 46-28-0 as a starter. That is a winning percentage of 62%, which means over a 16-game season, you can expect his team to win 9.92 games.
• Romo has thrown 144 touchdowns and 71 interceptions. This is a TD/Int ratio of better than two-to-one.
• Romo has an average QB rating of 96.4.
• Romo has led nine fourth quarter comebacks.
• In six years as a starting QB, Romo has thrown for 20,296 yards.
• Tony Romo was an undrafted free agent.

By comparison, Troy Aikman posted these numbers on his way to Canton and the NFL Hall of Fame:

• Aikman’s record as a starting QB was 94-71-0. That is a winning percentage of 56.9. On average, his teams won 9.12 games per season.
• Aikman threw 165 touchdowns and 141 interceptions. That is much closer to a one-to-one ration than Romo’s two-to-one mark.
• Aikman had an average QB rating of 81.6.
• Aikman threw for 32,942 yards during his 12-year career.
• Troy Aikman was the first player taken in the 1989 NFL draft.

Now, why do you hate Romo?

There is only one reason that makes any sense at all. While Aikman was 11–4 in the playoffs with three Super Bowl wins, Tony Romo is 1–3.

With all of this said, I have a very good reason for Cowboys fans to hate Romo less. It is a simple one that only asks you to remember. Just…remember.

I am suggesting that a bad memory is a big problem with Romo haters. So, I would like to challenge you to a quiz. Just click on the link and take the quiz below and then ask yourself this question: How bad do I really hate Tony Romo?

Can you name the Dallas Cowboys Starting QBs Post-Aikman?

How did you do? I suffered brain freeze while taking it and could not remember three of them. When you consider the post-Troy, pre-Tony era of Cowboys football, does it do anything to lessen your Romomisery?

Or is that elusive sixth Lombardi trophy the only thing that will cure it?

The Dallas Cowboys brought in Ohio State wideout Brian Robiskie for a workout. According to Matt Mosely of ESPN.com, the Cowboys have been enamored with Robiskie for a long time.

Robiskie, from Cleveland, Ohio, is listed by the Buckeyes as 6’3″, 199 pounds. In his senior season, he recorded 42 receptions for 535 yards and 8 touchdowns. He seems to have a flair for the spectacular catch. He runs sharp routes and sports a great pair of hands.

In the OSU player highlight video (below), one thing that jumps out at me is the absence of YAC (yards after catch). He appears to go down pretty easily, even with a flailing arm tackle. Scouts, Inc gives him a grade of 76. They rank him 75th overall and number 11 at his position.

That number 11 ranking is just another sign of the depth of the 2009 wide receiver crop. Surely, the Cowboys will find some help at that position in the draft this year.

There is no doubt about it: Lifelong Dallas Cowboys fans are pretty spoiled when it comes to the man occupying the most important position on the field. Few franchises can boast a richer tradition of Quarterbacking excellence. From Dandy Don, the greatest athlete ever to hail from Mount Vernon, Texas, to Troy Aikman, the pride of Henryetta, we have been privileged to watch America’s team flourish under the guidance of great field generals. One of them, the great Roger Staubach, was such a transcendent figure in his day many took to calling him Captain America.

All of this richness lends itself to a healthy debate over just which of these men was the all-time greatest. It is doubtful that numbers alone could possibly answer that question, what with the vast difference in the way the game was played from era to era, the quality of the talent around each man, and the philosophy of the offense at the time.

Certainly, Staubach, Danny White, and Troy benefited from playing on outstanding teams. Staubach’s Cowboys appeared in five Super Bowls in a ten-year span, won two of them, and played classics in the three losses. Aikman’s ‘Boys became the first team in history to win three Super Bowls in four years. And, while Danny White never won a Super Bowl while at the helm, he did make three straight trips to the NFC championship game.

Contrast all that success with the dismal mess Don Meredith stepped into – a new franchise without so much as the benefit of an initial college draft – and you can see where we might want to give that man some leniency. Under his guidance, the Cowboys quickly rose from the League Whipping Post to legitimate contenders. By the end of the 60′s, they were making enough noise and knocking on the door frequently enough that some labeled them “Next Year’s Champions.”

Meredith never won the Big One. Neither did White. But they distinguished themselves as elite quarterbacks. They led powerful surges that stopped just short of ultimate glory. Staubach and Aikman did climb that mountain and raise their arms in triumph at the apex of NFL achievement.

But which of them was the best? Subjectively, we can argue that ’til Jesus comes. I was born in the ’60′s and came to full football cognizance in the 70′s, so you can pretty well guess which Staubach, um quarterback I favor. But I love them all. I love that they are part of the tradition of the team I have called mine for more than four decades.

Objectively, I developed a formula for grading and ranking the Cowboys QBs. I only included Meredith, Staubach, White and Aikman in the formula, because they are the only ones who rank real consideration.

Without further adieu, I present for your consideration The Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Grade Book:

As you can see, the grade book gives us a clear winner, a valedictorian. Troy Aikman, with his 98% edges Roger, who scored 90%. As we would expect, both are “A” students. White and Meredith turned in respectable scores, but each was handicapped by less playoff success and by not being selected for the Hall of Fame.

I was surprised to see that, with this history of outstanding play at the position, none of the Cowboys greats were ever named to the All-Pro team. The balanced nature of the offense’s attack, I am sure, played a big role there. The Cowboys have never been like the Marino Dolphins or the Fouts Chargers, slinging the ball all over the field. There were always guys named Perkins, Thomas, Hill, Dorsett, and Smith to pound the rock.

The leader in each category is highlighted in red and bolded. Staubach won or tied 10 categories. Aikman won or tied 8. Meredith and White did not win a single category.

By the way, Tony Romo isn’t in the mix because any grade he might receive would have to be an incomplete. However, here is a peek at how he is doing so far. In a couple categories, he could end up with the lead. Here is how he stacks up. His first -place categories are in blue.

All in all, I think the grade book gets it about right, though if certain intangibles, such as leadership and the ability to will a win all by oneself, were included, I think Staubach would at least pull into a dead heat with Aikman.

That’s just numbers, though. The question remains…

What Do YOU Think?

Link to a prettier version of the gradebook and graph here.

Since their first draft in 1961, the Dallas Cowboys have drafted 46 players in the first round. Five of these players have their busts in the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Way more than five of them were just busts. That is, of course, to be expected. The NFL Draft is an inexact science. All teams have more strikeouts than home runs.

In this post, we will take a look at the Cowboys’ first round draft history, and offer the following (mostly-subjective) observations:

• Identify the top five (best of the best) first rounders
• Identify the bottom five (worst of the best) first rounders
• Grade each player
• Grade the Cowboys’ overall first round drafting success by averaging the players’ grades
• Grade each of the Cowboys’ regimes, broken down as follows:
  • The Schramm/Landry Era
  • The Jones/Johnson Era
  • The post-Johnson/Jones Era

We will use a numerical grading system to provide a letter grade for each pick:

• 0-49 = F
• 50-64 = D
• 65-74 = C
• 75-89 = B
• 90-95 = A
• 96-100 = A+
• 100+ = A++

Points are earned as follows:

• 2 points for each year on the Cowboys’ roster
• 0.2 point for each game played as a Cowboy
• 1 point for each additional year in the league with another team
• 10 points for every Pro Bowl selection
• Career achievement:
  • 20 points for being a singular player
  • 10 points for exceeding reasonable expectations
  • 5 points for meeting reasonable expectations
  • 0 points for underachievement
  • -5 points for total failure
• 25 points for Hall of Fame consideration

It is important to note that the system selected for judging these draft picks is weighted toward their value to the team, even more than their value as a player. Some players had ok careers with Dallas and then moved on to do some good things in other places. That counts, but not much. It is also important to remember that these men were first round picks, so the bar is elevated. Pro Bowls, All Pro selection, and, of course, the Hall of Fame are all weighted disproportionate to just being there, playing the game for a long time.

It isn’t a perfect system. It surely is not a purely objective formula. But, it is a system and a formula…

So, here goes…

First, an overview of the Cowboys’ first-round draft selections:

There they are, in all of their glory. The list contains living legends, team standouts, serviceable players, and complete busts. In that regard, we can be sure, it is no different from any such list one might compile for any of the 32 NFL teams. But this is not just any list. This is our list, BlueBloods. So, let’s break it down.

We have graded each individual player using the above formula and posted the results here, because the spreadsheet just didn’t fit in this post. There is a link to the Grade Sheet in the sidebar to the right, as well. Using the results of our grading system, we give you…

The Top Five (The Transcendent Ones, the Blowers of Grading Curves)

These five players received the highest point totals in our grading system. Of course, each of them graded out A++

1. Bob Lilly, DT, 285.2 points – Mr. Cowboy was the first pick the franchise ever made, and it says here he is still the best they ever made.
   

   Mr. Cowboy

2. Randy White, DT, 267.8 points – The Manster was like the second coming of Lilly, once Landry figured out he was a defensive tackle and not a middle linebacker.
3. Emmitt Smith, RB, 259.2 points – the NFL’s all-time leading rushing and a major cog in the early 90′s wheel that crushed everything in its path to three Super Bowl championships.
4. Troy Aikman, QB, 186 points – The HOF quarterback with the golden arm and the steely nerves. He was the perfect leader of a dang near perfect team.
5. Michael Irvin, 169.8 points – Mike was the spiritual leader of a spirited bunch. The Play-Maker played his way into the Hall of Fame and into the top five list of all-time Dallas Cowboys first round picks.

You will note that these players all have in common the highest pinnacle of achievement in the sport: they are all hall of famers. (Well, I am granting Emmitt his seat, of course.) There is a hall of famer – and one of my all-time favorite Cowboys – left off the top five list. That just isn’t right, so here are the honorable mentions, the next five…

The A+ Honor Roll

1. Tony Dorsett, RB, 166.4 points – There was never anything in Cowboys history more beautiful than watching TD break a long run. He was poetry in motion and, before the Herschell trade, the best coup the Cowboys ever pulled in a trade, says me.
2. Lee Roy Jordan, MLB, 158.2 points – They never made an undersized middle linebacker with more spunk, spit, and gravel than my man, Lee Roy. It is time the HOF ended their longtime spite for 70s era Cowboys and put his bust in Canton.
3. Ed “Too Tall” Jones, DE, 153.8 points – Too Tall was too much for opposing defenders. When he wasn’t slinging QBs to the Texas Stadium turf, he was swatting their passes back in their chops. Another HOF travesty.
4. John Niland, G, C, 147.6 points – 10 years a Cowboys. Six Pro Bowls. Two times All-Pro. Seems like HOF numbers to me. If only he had been a Steeler, huh?
5. Billy Joe Dupree, TE, 115.8 points – 11 years and 3 Pro Bowls, Billy Joe was the first great Cowboys’ tight end. There have, as you know, been a couple pretty nice ones since. They weren’t taken in the first round. Billy Joe was.

The Flunkers and Klunkers (the worst 1st round picks ever to wear a Star…except for one, who didn’t)

1. Scott Appleton, OT, 0 points – Scott is the biggest bust ever only because he never played a down for the ‘Boys. He was drafted by Dallas in the NFL and Houston in the AFL, and the meathead went with Houston. It is just as well. He was never more than a spare part, and even playing his short career in Dallas would have only moved him up a few chairs in the Dunce line.
2. Billy Cannon, Jr, LB, 0.6 points – He was the 25th pick in the 1984 draft. He had the pedigree: his father, Billy Cannon, Sr was a Heisman trophy winner from LSU. Junior was a standout at A&M and the Cowboys had high hopes for him. But like much of the 80′s for Cowboys fans, Cannon gave us nothing to remember and plenty to forget. he didn’t even post a full season in the Silver and Blue.
3. Bill Thomas, RB, 2.4 points – He was the 26th pick in the ’72 draft. That much we know. What he did after, you might want to ask his mom. No one else will remember.
4. Mike Sherrard, WR, 10.2 points – Mike suffered what was thought to be a career-ending injury. The fact that he managed to keep it from being so earned him enough points to better the trio above. He actually had some nice years in San Francisco, and it was good to see him bounce back. Still, he was never what we thought he was.
5. Tody Smith, DE, 10.4 points – He played two years in Dallas after being taken with the 25th pick in 1971.
   

   No, Really! It's T-o-d-y

   Apparently, his only contribution was that goofy name his either dyslexic or sadistic mom gave him.

Honestly, I began this project because I wanted to see if that stiff, Bobby Carpenter, was the biggest first round miss in Cowboys’ history. As it turns out, his big fat flunking grade of 29.2 is only 13th worst in club history. Geez, that’s depressing, isn’t it? Well, we have had some great late-round and free agent finds along the way, so it all comes out in the wash.

And now, for part two of this experiment. How do the various eras compare against one another?

Grading the Teachers

1. The Landry/Schramm Era – 75.7 (B – barely)
2. The Jones/Johnson Era – 105 (A++ – only six picks, and two HOFers…and three rings)
3. The Post-Johnson/Jones Era – 59.2 (D – with names like Shante Carver and Bobby Carpenter and with several incompletes on the scorecard, how could this bunch win?)

The Double J Ranch

Landry and company drafted four Hall of Famers in the first round, out of 27 picks. Jones and Johnson drafted two out of just six taken. The only pick made since Johnson left that has a legitimate shot (so far) is DeMarcus Ware. With the nine picks taken in this latest era, six have earned an F, one (Terence Newman) is scoring a C so far, and two (Ware and Roy Williams) are A+ students, according to our scale.

So, what have we learned?

A few things:

1. There have been some mind-numbing busts in the first round by this team. 22 of the 46 players taken (47%) received an F on their report card.
2. The Cowboys have landed six of the greatest to ever play the game in those 46 tries…and the verdict is still out, but the prospects look good for a seventh (Ware).
3. Landry and Schramm were smarter than Jones alone for sure, but maybe none of them had the big brain Jimmy sports…or the eye for talent.
4. The Hall of Fame has some work to do to right some 70s wrongs.
5. Cowboys fans better pray that Jerry Jones has Dan Reeves somewhere nearby on draft day.

Oh, wait. They don’t have a first round pick this year.