Capitol Stays West

RATING THE CAPITOL
CATEGORY	COWBOYS	REDSKINS	EAGLES	SAINTS
Quarterback	12	16	4	8
Linebackers	16	12	8	4
Defensive line	16	8	12	4
Offensive line	12	6	9	3
Secondary	8	4	6	2
Receivers	6	8	4	2
Running backs	4	2	3	1
Kicking game	1	4	3	2
TOTAL	75	60	49	26

Last season the Dallas Cowboys came within one furious last-minute yard of tying the Green Bay Packers in the National Football League championship game in the Cotton Bowl. This year the margin may be even narrower.

After seven painful years in Dallas, Tex Schramm, the Cowboy general manager, and Tom Landry, the serious, thoughtful coach, finally have fashioned what may become a dynasty. The Cowboys arrived in 1966. For the next few years they should remain comfortably at the top of their conference. This is a young, fast and talented football club. Its only concern now is in achieving deep strength at a couple of positions.

One position where it has almost an embarrassment of depth is at quarterback. Behind the experienced and very competent Don Meredith are two young and promising third-year men, Craig Morton and Jerry Rhome. Neither has had much opportunity to play and, as Landry says, "They are only now reaching the point where they have learned their trade."

So far neither back has shown signs of resenting his second-class status. "They realize," Landry says, "that it takes at least three years for a good quarterback to mature in professional football. Both of them have looked good in training, Rhome particularly."

With a healthy Meredith on hand, the two youngsters can look forward to another year of working the phones to the spotters in the press box, with an occasional sortie onto the field when the Cowboys pile up a lead. Since the Dallas offense is one of the most explosive in the NFL, they may find themselves in action often.

Meredith, who took his football lightly in his formative pro years, has grown up and now ranks among the top quarterbacks in the league. He has learned to operate the imaginative and complex Landry offense, with its strong running and fast and sure receivers, with assurance and aplomb. A magnificent Dallas defense could mean that Meredith will be able to launch that offense from good field position.

The only thing that can stop the Cowboys this year is a siege of injuries. As promising as Morton and Rhome are, their lack of experience with the intricate Dallas offense could hurt the team's chances if one or the other had to replace Meredith for any length of time. The pair of them have thrown only 118 passes in two seasons, as compared with 649 for Meredith. Meredith stayed well in 1966, but he has had a history of injuries: a shoulder separation in 1961, a hand injury in 1962, knee and ankle injuries complicated by a stomach ailment in 1964 and a sore arm in 1965. This training session he broke a rib. It is to his credit that he has performed well even when playing in pain.

The Dallas defensive line gives the Cowboys a pass rush second only to the Rams', but behind the front four of Willie Townes, Jethro Pugh, Bob Lilly and George Andrie the quality drops off sharply. Dallas traded the very competent Jim Colvin away in the off season and none of the rookies who reported to camp this year have shown exceptional ability. Coy Bacon, a 6'4", 270-pound free agent from Jackson State, will be able to help if he learns quickly enough. But the club has a surplus of good players at other positions, and a trade might be the best solution.

If the Cowboys could pick up an extra linebacker in the same trade, it would strengthen them at another of their thin points. Their starting trio of Dave Edwards, Lee Roy Jordan and Chuck Howley is excellent and substitute Harold Hays is a strong five-year man with good speed, but the Cowboys could use one more proven player to spell Jordan in the middle.

The only other question mark on the team is, ironically, the kicking game. Although the Cowboys went on a much-publicized safari during the off season in search of kickers, they did not uncover much talent. Danny Villanueva, who had a bone spur removed from his left ankle at training camp, is still the best of a mediocre lot. If the operation returns him to his top efficiency of earlier years, he could give Dallas better than average—but not really first-rate—punting and place-kicking.