The Original Triplets
In the 90s the Dallas Cowboys won Three Super Bowls and played in the NFC Title game four straight years. A huge reason for the Cowboys success was due in large part to Quarterback Troy Aikman, Running Back Emmitt Smith and the Playmaker, Wide Receiver Michael Irvin or as they were commonly called “the triplets”. The Cowboys were an efficient offensive juggernaut with the triplets and all three players are now in the NFL Hall of Fame.
The Lean Years and the Second Triplets
After these three hall of famers retired the Cowboys went several lean years without even sniffing the playoffs. Difficulty replacing Troy Aikman was the primary cause. Anyone remember Quincy Carter? Dallas kind of got back on track at the QB position when they signed undrafted free agent Tony Romo from Eastern Illinois. This was the first piece to the new triplets and the possible return to glory. The second piece came in 2010 when Dallas took Dez Bryant in the first round of the NFL Draft. Bryant was even given the same number as the “Playmaker”. Those were big shoes to fill since now Bryant was not only wearing Michael Irvin’s number, it was also the number of the “original #88”, Drew Pearson.
In 2011, Dallas took DeMarco Murray in the third round of the draft and it looked like they had finally found that third piece to the new triplets. In 2014 the Cowboys finished the season 12-4 and made it to the playoffs. Had it not been for the controversial, “Dez caught it” call, they might have gone further. Romo and Bryant had incredible seasons that year and Murray was the NFL rushing leader surpassing Emmitt Smith as the Cowboys all-time leading rusher for a single season.
The New Triplets?
Following that season however, Murray wasn’t re-signed and Romo was injured most of the entire 2015 season. Dez Bryant’s body also began to betray him. A bad 2015 season turned into a great 2016 draft however. Dallas took Ezekiel Elliot #4 overall and in the fourth round got a steal. In that round they took Dak Prescott who took over for an injured Tony Romo and never looked back finishing the season with a 13-3 record. That’s two pieces of the new triplets in one draft. Actually, many called Bryant, Elliot and Prescott the new triplets.
By 2018, Dez Bryant was out and Dallas didn’t have a #1 wide receiver threat. And it showed as Dallas was 3-5 by mid-season. Dallas needing to make a bold move before the trade deadline, sent a 1st round draft pick to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for the services of Amari Cooper. With Amari Cooper now a Dallas Cowboy, the team finished the second half of the season 7-1 and won the NFC East. Is the trio of Prescott, Elliot and Cooper the new triplets?
The Best Wide Receiver Trio in the NFL
Flash-forward to week 1 of the NFL season. Dallas dominated their opponent but the players that were a huge part of that domination didn’t include Elliot. Yes Prescott had a great game but it was who he threw the ball to that stood out. Amari Cooper had 6 receptions for 106 yards and 1 touchdown. Michael Gallup who was taken in the 2018 draft had 7 receptions for 158 yards averaging nearly 23 yards per catch. And new free agent acquisition, Randall Cobb looks like a major upgrade at the slot receiver. Cobb finished the game with 4 catches for 69 yards and a
touchdown.
“I think they have a shot at being one of the top receiving corps in the NFL,” – Michael Irvin
Back in June, long before training camp, Michael Irvin touted the Cowboys WR trio as the NFL’s best. Gallup who showed flashes last season is only going to get better as he works on his rapport with Prescott. That duo missed on multiple deep balls last season. Cobb just needs to do what he does and did when he was catching passes from future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers. And of course there is Amari Cooper who runs great routes and sometimes seems un-coverable. If week 1 of the 2019 season was any indication Dallas’ new triplets won’t be a QB, RB, WR trio but rather a trio of wide receivers.
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