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49ers and Cowboys differ on how to rebuild

Sporting News, The, Oct 2, 2000 by Gary Horton

San Francisco's surprising 41-24 victory over Dallas last Sunday sure didn't have the same feel it did a few years back. The uniforms were the same and Ken Norton Jr. still wore one, but that was about the extent of it.

What had developed over time into one of the fiercest rivalries in pro sports was nothing more than a meaningless game between two rebuilding teams. The 49ers have acknowledged their decline and now have 26 players on the roster with two years experience or less. The Cowboys, meanwhile, are defiantly clinging to past glories and seem destined to toil in mediocrity until coming to the same realization. That's what makes last week's outcome so ironic. The team that cut most of its ties to the past looked closer to getting back to a level of respectability than the one that continues to sign big-name free agents.

After so many seasons at the top, the Cowboys and 49ers of the '90s grew old together. In essence, they became the Grumpy Old Men of the NFL. Neither would admit to liking the other, but there is a sameness between the two that has produced an underlying respect. Even guys such as Emmitt Smith, who speaks about the current state of this rivalry like a relationship gone sour, have admitted they miss the glory days when this pairing was special.

These two franchises have covered a lot of common ground over the years. From Super Bowls to Deion Sanders, the parallels are endless. Most important, both teams built their dynasties through the draft and the salary cap did both of them in.

The formula wasn't a secret; every other team was well aware of what the 49ers and Cowboys were doing. What these teams had that the others didn't was a truly great visionary at the top. No one got the job done in the offseason like San Francisco's Bill Walsh and Dallas' Jimmy Johnson.

These architects weren't only tacticians in the film room and on the practice field; they also had unique and calculated ideas when it came to the draft. Instead of settling for one pick in each round, Walsh took the unconventional approach and swapped out of the first and second rounds, opting instead to load up later when an eye for talent actually paid off. Johnson approached the draft in a similar fashion, but he was much more aggressive. If he wanted a guy, Johnson was always willing to barter. If the phone rang and Johnson or Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was on the other end, you always knew there was a real chance of something happening.

Which brings us back to the current state of these two organizations. The latest contest between the Cowboys and 49ers didn't have the same mystique as it did a decade ago, but it was interesting nonetheless. The mild upset showcased the contrasting philosophies that each club has adopted, and it was very clear which one still is under the same leadership it was before parity changed the league.

Dallas looked like an old, fired, hurting team, while San Francisco appeared youthful and active.

When the Cowboys chose to forfeit their first-round pick in 2000 and 2001 to acquire wide receiver Joey Galloway, the move was met with great optimism around Valley Ranch. The Cowboys should have known better. They had too many holes to begin with, especially on defense, so they should have realized that one more vertical threat on offense wouldn't make the difference. Galloway, who was lost for the year with a knee injury in the season opener, was supposed to be the savior who would take this team back to the Super Bowl, but instead he likely will be remembered as the symbol of Jones' unrealistic vision of his team.

After losing Deion Sanders and Michael Irvin, Jones should have kicked off the rebuilding process by steering clear of any high-priced free agents, but instead he targeted one who would cost his team its top pick in next year's draft, too. Now, even if he chooses to start the reclamation project at the end of the year, he'll be forced to do so without a first-round pick, which could wind up being near the top spot if the Cowboys' slide continues. And remember, Johnson isn't around to help fix this problem.

Though they are far from where they want to be--or once were--the 49ers deserve credit for starting over when they did. It hasn't been easy on anyone in the organization. They have swallowed a substantial amount of cap dollars and parted ways with cornerstones such as Lee Woodall and Tim McDonald, but those were steps that needed to be taken. Walsh has always been a firm believer in playing rookies, and that's exactly the mandate he handed down to coach Steve Mariucci before the season started. With first-year players such as Julian Peterson, John Engelberger and Ahmed Plummer all gaining valuable time on defense, Walsh again has San Francisco on the right track.