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Gil Brandt Reveals Cowboys Were Closer to Drafting John Elway Than Dan Marino

Former Dallas Cowboys Vice President of Player Personnel Gil Brandt said Monday the franchise made a significant offer in an effort to obtain the first overall pick ahead of the 1983 NFL draft, which it would have used to select John Elway.

The Baltimore Colts ultimately opted to stick in the No. 1 spot and selected Elway before trading him to the Denver Broncos for fourth overall choice Chris Hinton, quarterback Mark Herrmann and a first-round pick in the 1984 draft after he threatened to play baseball rather than join the team.