by C. Michael Lowery

Created on: April 03, 2009

The best franchises in the history of the NFL have two things in common, excellence on the field and great management in the front offices. There are no real indications that older franchises are better than newer franchises, and no correlation to having the most popular players. New franchise or founding team, super star players or recycled cast offs, these three teams have shown that talent on the field requires talent off the field as well.

The New England Patriots have developed from an AFC also-ran to a portrait of success by sharing the two values that a great team must possess. The front office of the Patriots organization is a streamlined machine that can turn 6th round QBs into Hall of Fame Super Bowl champions and harness the talent of otherwise "prima Donna" football players. The choice of the front office in personnel decisions in second to none in terms of talent potential evaluation. Many have questioned the choices of the management of the organization by bringing in players such as oft disgruntled wide receiver Randy Moss, whose mouth often made more headlines than his talent. Moss responded to the Patriots style and delivered an NFL record number of touchdowns catches by a receiver in a single season. The aforementioned Brady was a sixth round draft choice out of Michigan and destined to the practice squad on any other team in the league. He has delivered 3 Super Bowls and set the single season touchdown passes record.

The Dallas Cowboys "Americas Team", have mastered both of these areas as well. The Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is stellar at rehashing the careers of many players that had been given up on by the rest of the league. Let us not forget the front office decision to trade running back Hershel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings. This blockbuster trade will always be remembered as the most lopsided trade in all of football history, though at the time, Walker was a stellar Pro Bowl and Hall of Fame running back and many believed the Vikings had pulled off a coup by landing the superstar back. Walker had a brief and uneventful career in Minnesota and never returned to the super star form he had displayed so well in Dallas. The Cowboys front office, led by owner Jerry Jones, however, parlayed the draft picks from the Walker trade into Troy Aikman, (Hall of Fame and Super Bowl champion quarterback), and Emmitt Smith, the Hall of Fame running back who shattered the great Walter Payton's all time career rushing record. The Cowboys excellence on and off the field in the 1990s was unmatched, and became as close to a dynasty as the NFL has seen in many years.

The San Francisco 49rs under legendary coach Bill Walsh became transformed a relatively weak armed and immobile quarterback named Joe Montana into a football legend, and dominated their opponents in the 1980s like no team had ever done before. Taking a flier on a small kid named Jerry Rice underscored the front offices ability to find immense talent in players overlooked by other teams, and it paid huge dividends for the team and the organization. Execution in the front office was matched only in the play on the field in terms of success. Brilliant coaching and a supportive owner catapulted the 49rs into one of the most storied franchises in league history.

There are many other great teams and players in this league, but love them or hate them, these three teams have shown more than any that great front office personnel and great players on the field are an unbeatable combination, and have laid the blueprint for NFL achievement for years to come.

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