Cowboys: How They Rated in ESPN’s Top 100

Multiple Dallas Cowboys rated in the Top 100 of ESPN’s recent NFL player ratings.

ESPN recently gathered 70 NFL experts and asked them rate the NFL’s best players in order to find out how they all stack up. Former players, analysts, reporters, and front office executives all took part in this preseason fun, and multiple Dallas Cowboys made the list.

It should come as no surprise that Dez Bryant is the highest rated player on the Dallas Cowboys. After all, this isn’t an MVP vote, as ESPN said in their instructions,

"“This is not and MVP vote. Rate players based on greatness…not the positions they play or how many endorsements they have.”"

If it had been an MVP vote, Dez Bryant probably wouldn’t even get team MVP. Consider this: If Dez Bryant was lost for a game, could the Cowboys win? Now ask, if Tony Romo were lost for a game, could the Cowboys win?

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For that reason Tony Romo, and most quarterbacks around the NFL, would usually always be considered their team’s most valuable player. But this is based on rating a player’s skill – not importance. On a 1-100 scale (100 being the highest), they were to rate (not rank) players. The results of which would keep quarterbacks from dominating the top-10 like so many lists often do.

Instead of a QB leading the list of top 100 players, it was a defensive lineman. Not surprisingly J.J. Watt led the field with an average score of 98.87. Watt is on pace to break every pass-rushing record that ever existed, so it’s hard to argue with the recognition of his greatness here.

Behind Watt falls Aaron Rodgers at #2, and Tom Brady at #3, two QBs the Cowboys know all too well. Ndamukong Suh is the second defensive player at #4, getting perfect 100 point scores from thirteen of the experts.

Seeing Suh at #4 hearkens back memories of when rookie All-Pro Zack Martin effectively negated Suh’s impact last season. Considering Martin is still 4-5 years away from his physical prime, and is already holding his own against the best of the best, we should feel all warm and cozy inside when thinking about the future.

The next three players were all pass-catchers. Beating Dez in the ratings was tight end Rob Gronkowski. Gronk may have a storied injury history, but his effectiveness on the field is undeniable. Being the biggest mismatch in the NFL, he dominates the ball on offense for the Pats and rivals Dez Bryant as the top redzone receiving target in the NFL today.

Dez Bryant clocks in at #6 tied with Calvin Johnson. Being tied with Calvin Johnson for anything should be seen as a compliment, so it’s hard to argue with Dez getting the honor here.

Dez Bryant is one of the most physically dominant players in the NFL, regardless of position. His athleticism is unrivaled and his game breaking ability must always be reckoned with. Even when Dez isn’t getting the ball, defenses are forced to double-cover him, subsequently helping his Cowboys teammates around him.

The Cowboys offense works the way it does, because Dez Bryant is on the field. The threat of Dez Bryant is what really makes the Cowboys’ rushing attack so strong. Not since Randy Moss has there been a better jump ball player in the NFL.

Tyron Smith gets a score of 88.21 to come in at #29 (second LT behind Joe Thomas). Tony Romo follows closely behind at #31, rating as the 6^th QB after Rodgers, Brady, Andrew Luck, Peyton Manning, and Ben Roethlisberger.

Jason Witten was #53 getting respect for being a “complete” TE who can block and catch. Zack Martin was at a modest #57. Something tells me that number is going to improve significantly in his second year. Travis Frederick at #66 is the third Cowboys offensive lineman to make the list. Frederick, like his linemates ahead of him, has yet to reach his physical prime, and is already dominating the NFL.

It would be nice to see more Dallas Cowboys higher on the list, but let’s face it, success breeds respect and the Cowboys need to find more postseason success.

Something pretty telling is that while the Cowboys seem to be well represented on offense, they don’t have a single player on the list playing on the defensive side of the ball. That may soon change with Sean Lee, Greg Hardy, DeMarcus Lawrence, Tyrone Crawford, and even rookie Randy Gregory looking to make an impact in 2015.

Do you agree or disagree with ESPN’s list? What do you think it will look like next season?

Next: DeMarco Murray was Good, but could have been Better

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