Tag: radio interview

Jerry Jones addresses radio rant, justifies Derrick Henry non-pursuit, shares his lone regret as Cowboys owner

From @ToddBrock24f7: The Cowboys owner expressed surprise over the headlines he made last week, then tried to justify several questionable decisions he’s made.

Jerry Jones called in Tuesday morning- as scheduled- for his weekly radio appearance on flagship station 105.3 The Fan. And the first question he got, naturally, was about last week’s headline-making tirade, when he awkwardly went after the hosts and even seemed to threaten their jobs, all for their prodding regarding the lack of personnel moves made by the front office over the offseason.

“I don’t have anything to say about last week,” the Cowboys owner said…

…And then he went for another seven minutes on the topic.

“I must tell you, I’m surprised that last week got the attention it got.”

The tl;dr version is that Jones isn’t holding a grudge, the hosts aren’t getting fired, and everyone in the long-term relationship understands and expects that there will be tough questions and emotional answers from time to time, because it comes part and parcel with the unique inside exposure that Jones regularly gives to the Dallas media when it comes to the most valuable and recognized sports franchise on the planet.

Yet Jones talked a good bit about some of the controversial decisions he’s made, and why, and which one he might do over if he could.

The 82-year-old billionaire wandered into his past and brought up a few of his greatest-hit stories, like the coin flip that helped determine the final price he’d pay for the team back in 1989.

Oddly, he rehashed that one while trying to explain for the umpteenth time why the Cowboys didn’t pursue free agent running back Derick Henry in the spring. (Jones mentioned Henry twice without ever being prompted; it’s clearly top of mind at the moment.)

“In my mind, we’re not playing very good football right now, at all,” Jones said. “And it’s beyond whether or not we have Derrick Henry or not. Derrick Henry is having a career year. I don’t know if he’d be having that career year in our situation. And that’s really something you really do have to look at, because if he had not had as many carries as our running backs have had, then he certainly probably wouldn’t have attained the level of impact he’s had.”

For what it’s worth, Henry has 134 rushing attempts so far this season for Baltimore. He’s amassed 873 yards through seven games, averaging 6.5 yards per carry.

The entire Cowboys team has 133 carries for 463 yards (over six games), a 3.5 per-attempt clip.

“He’s a real good complement to the type of offense they run,” Jones continued of Henry. “We don’t run that type of offense, at all.”

No, they sure don’t. Baltimore has a 5-2 mark, having scored a league-high 31.1 points per outing, while 3-3 Dallas is scoring 21 points per game, worse than all but one other club.

But the offensive approaches aren’t that dissimilar: the Ravens are currently averaging 28.4 passing attempts and 250.6 passing yards per game; the Cowboys are at 39.7 attempts and 259.3 yards. Baltimore is, in fact, running more than the Cowboys- 34.1 attempts per game as opposed to 22.2- but it’s worth noting that many of the Ravens’ “rushes” are scrambles or designed runs by quarterback Lamar Jackson (about 10 per game).

It’s also safe to assume that if Henry were wearing a star on his helmet, there would be a few more runs being called.

Be all of that as it may, Jones claims he has no regrets about not pursuing Henry- because of money, because of fit, because of whatever.

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With the team reeling and on the precipice of a complete crash-and-burn, though, Jones spent a lot of his time justifying other past decisions. Over the course of the Q&A, he defended trading wide receiver Amari Cooper for only a fifth-round pick in 2022, despite the fact that Cleveland turned him for a third-rounder just last week.

“We went for the dollars,” Jones explained. “We saved almost $20 million for our cap and the future. We took a lesser draft pick to get that savings. When he made this move the other day, Cleveland went for more draft pick and less savings. It was very simple.”

Cooper has played in 39 games since leaving Dallas. He’s totaled 178 catches for 2,726 yards and 17 touchdowns and made a Pro Bowl. The Cowboys used that fifth-round selection on offensive lineman Matt Waletzko, who- in two and a half pro seasons- has played all of 19 snaps, mostly on special teams.

Yeah, but they did get that cap savings, too.

Jones was willing to admit there was at least one thing he’s gotten wrong over his tenure as owner.

He told 105.3 The Fan that he regrets firing head coach Wade Phillips midway through the 2010 season. The Cowboys were just 1-7 when Phillips got the axe and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett was named interim head coach. The move turned the season for Dallas; the Cowboys went 5-3 the rest of the way, and Garrett stayed on in the position for another nine seasons.

But Jones pointed out that things worked out for Phillips, too. Just a few years later, Phillips won a Super Bowl ring with the Broncos, a title that, according to many, likely would not have happened without him as Denver’s defensive coordinator.

It was the only time Jones has ever fired a head coach during a season. He’s said he won’t do it again, despite rumors swirling that Mike McCarthy- coaching without a contract beyond 2024- is on borrowed time.

Jones seems more than willing to lie in the bed he’s made- with a lame-duck head coach that he won’t dismiss now because of a 14-year-old regret, with a benchwarming lineman that he won’t admit was too little payment for a Pro Bowl receiver he wanted gone, with a broken running game that he insists is fine because he wants the fanbase to believe the league’s current rushing leader wouldn’t have been a good schematic fit.

And Jones is somehow surprised that his nonsensical radio rantings get the attention they do.

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Jerry Jones: Odell Beckham Jr. ‘could look pretty good’ wearing Cowboys star

Jones didn’t tapdance around the subject of signing the 3-time Pro Bowler; he spoke of him like a new toy he’s just waiting to unwrap. | From @ToddBrock24f7

On Sunday, there were insider rumblings that the Cowboys had free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. “in their sights” and “firmly on their radar.” The story picked up momentum on Monday when Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy raved about the three-time Pro Bowler’s reputation, saying, “I’ve heard so many excellent things about him over the years. I think those are conversations for the future.”

Well, cue the avalanche warning, because Jerry Jones continued the conversation Tuesday.

The Cowboys owner didn’t shy away from questions about the former first-round draft pick who famously tormented the Cowboys over his five seasons with the New York Giants. In fact, while Jones started by giving props to the current crop of pass-catchers and promising reinforcements in the form of James Washington, he ended his answer by making it sound like he’s already mentally penciling Beckham onto the roster.

“I like where we are with our receiving corps,” Jones said Tuesday on 105.3 The Fan. “We’ve got, of course, Washington coming back, and that’s big. We’ve got [Michael] Gallup, who in my mind, is getting better, to the level we would expect him to be and improving everyday. And, of course, [CeeDee] Lamb we think is everything we want in our number one receiver. I like the way we’re throwing the ball with our tight ends. I think that’s meaningful in this conversation, because as I see us going forward, that could basically dictate just how aggressive we are in any type of additions that we have here with our receivers. On the other hand, Odell is someone that we have all the appreciation in the world for what he is as a competitor and know that the Cowboys star on that helmet, when he puts it on, could look pretty good.”

When he puts it on.

When.

It’s perhaps worth remembering that Jones often uses the same type of picture-painting imagery- putting that Cowboys star on your helmet– when talking to a coveted draft pick that he’s particularly excited about.

But Beckham isn’t some college prospect with unknown potential. He’s caught over 500 balls in the NFL, logged over 7,600 yards, and scored 59 touchdowns in the regular season and playoffs. And perhaps most relevant to the 6-2 Cowboys and their current situation, he joined the 7-2 Rams in the second week of November last year and helped propel that club to the Super Bowl by contributing 11.3 yards per reception and five total touchdowns over the final eight games of the season… and then doing even more in the postseason.

He scored the first touchdown of Super Bowl LVI for Los Angeles, but then tore an ACL in the second quarter. Beckham, 30, has been rehabbing ever since and is expected to be medically cleared soon, perhaps before the week is out.

“We know that we should be aware that he’s coming off this injury,” Jones said, “but he showed he can do it and do it well last year. So that would go into the mix real good. His past dealing with adversity of injury rehab, I think that tells you a lot.”

Beckham missed a few games to start the 2014 season with a hamstring issue. He played just four games in 2017 thanks to a series of injuries to his left ankle. A quad injury cost him four games in 2018. His first ACL tear ended his 2020 season early; his most recent injury was to the same knee.

The eight-year veteran has nevertheless generated plenty of interest; the Bills, Giants, Rams, Packers, and Chiefs have also been linked to him now that he’s nearing the end of his rehab.

Jones says adding a player of Beckham’s caliber- even midseason and after a lengthy layoff- is not a concern.

“My experience has been, when we’ve brought a veteran player in, they hit the ground running in terms of being able to compete,” the owner shared. “So that usually is not a big factor when we think about whether or not a player can… well, just can he fit? Now, a player’s individual skills, his people skills, as well as his past experience in terms of the systems that he’s been in, if in fact, he’s been with several teams. All of those weigh in on it. But I think that you’re looking at a player that his experience far outweighs any of that ambiguity involved with how’s he going to fit your system.”

Read into all of that what you will. (And Jerry clearly wants everyone to read into it. And talk about it. And turn it into sports-radio fodder. And make it the lead story on ESPN.) But Jones sounds like a man who’s picked out the new toy he wants and now just has to wait to actually get his hands on it.

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Cowboys ‘not done yet’ in free agency, says Stephen Jones

Jones maintains the team is “all in on stretching” the salary cap to bring free agent talent to Dallas, but they haven’t exactly done so. | From @ToddBrock24f7

“I don’t think you ever win the Super Bowl in the offseason.”

So said Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones on Tuesday, speaking on Dallas radio station 105.3 The Fan. That’s stating the obvious. But a team can certainly take themselves right out of the running with the wrong spring and summer roster moves, making a couple of bad draft picks, or by simply doing nothing during free agency.

“You need depth in all areas, whether it’s via the draft or free agency,” Jones said. “You hope you get that accomplished.”

To that end, the team’s chief operating officer maintains that they’re “not done yet” in free agency, though the current list of veterans still on the open market would indicate that they’re quickly running out of time… and players to choose from.

After starting off drastically over the cap figure, the Dallas front office made some strategic cuts and restructured a few deals. Ultimately, they found themselves plenty of cap space to work with, but have thus far chosen not to add more than wideout James Washington, defensive end Dante Fowler, and running back Ryan Nall.

None is what would would be referred to in modern parlance as “a splash play.”

Jones says the approach isn’t about the money, though, and he claims the team is more than willing to spend top dollar on the right players.

“If we see the player that makes the difference in terms of whether we’re going to win or lose games,” Jones said, “then we’re all in on stretching it, in terms of the salary cap and making something work.”

Jones acknowledged the frustrations that some (most) fans may be feeling at a Cowboys offseason that has seen the roster’s overall talent level take a dip, but he suggested that, despite the wildest free agency period many can remember, there were just few veteran options that made sense for the team this year.

With every big name that comes available, Jones says it’s about more than just looking at a player’s stats and throwing out an attractive contract offer.

“We have to make the decision- in collaboration with our coaching staff, in collaboration with our personnel staff- is that good value for your cap dollars? And what that enables you to do, if the right situation comes to you, then you can certainly make that decision. I understand completely that there’s situations out there where our fans have thoughts as to where they would be spending the cap dollars, but I like the situation that we’re in. I think we’ve made some really good decisions. I like where we’re headed.”

Where the Cowboys are headed now is into the draft, with nine selections currently but a seemingly much larger number of thin spots and outright holes on the roster.

Some of those spots and holes could have been filled in free agency, in moves that would not have won the Cowboys a Super Bowl… but they might have made it feel like a more attainable goal.

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Stephen Jones downplays trade-up talk: Cowboys looking for ‘best player on our board’

Jones thinks this draft class is deep at DL and WR but is allowing for a surprise like CeeDee Lamb or Micah Parsons to fall the team’s way. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made news recently when he hinted that trading up in the draft might be part of the team’s plan for augmenting the roster’s overall talent level with an elite college star.

But Stephen Jones sounded less amenable to that notion than his father.

“You do have a feeling in terms of the historic values that it takes to move up certain spots,” explained the Cowboys executive vice president on 105.3 The Fan during a Tuesday interview. “Certainly, in the first round in particular, to move up, you’re going to be giving up a really good football player. You’re going to be going one player for two, so it’s got to be worth it. There are certainly players that we’re very interested in as you move up, but we also know that this draft is probably deeper than it’s been in years.”

Jones especially likes the depth at wide receiver and defensive line in this year’s class; both are considered positions that Dallas needs to address after saying goodbye to Amari Cooper and Randy Gregory, respectively.

But when one door closes, another one opens. And those departures could present huge opportunities for current players to step up; he cited CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup from the receiving corps and Dorance Armstrong at the edge rusher spot.

Then, of course, there’s the unexpected. Jones pointed out that at this time last year, the club didn’t think they’d be drafting linebacker Micah Parsons.

And at this time last week, the team likely thought they were fairly well set at cornerback, counting on second-year man Kelvin Joseph to figure prominently into the mix.

That was before he was discovered to be connected to the mid-March shooting death of a 20-year-old outside a Dallas bar. Joseph has not been charged in the case, but investigations are still pending. And suddenly, the Cowboys find themselves wondering if they might have to rearrange their board to go shopping for a new corner.

“We are always into taking the best player on our board,” Jones said when asked if the Joseph situation will change the team’s draft strategy. “Not unlike we did with CeeDee, we took the best player there when we weren’t necessarily needing a wide receiver.”

That particular roll of the dice has worked out. Not all of them do. Jones admits that grading players this time of year is as much about things like personality and character as it is speed and strength.

“It’s huge. You go into that with every player,” he said. “You certainly give grades on their character risk, and we go in-depth. I would say at least 25% of the report is based on the guy’s character: football character, personal character, on and off the field, all the things that go into the makeup of what a football player’s going to be like and what you project him to be like when he gets into the NFL. It’s certainly a big part of the evaluation process.”

With the draft just nine days away, there are plenty of questions surrounding the 2022 Cowboys.

If ownership has the answers, they’re not letting on.

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Kellen Moore may get playcalling help, according to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones

Jones says the Cowboys will lean on Mike McCarthy’s experience in ’22, even if it means influencing a Kellen Moore offense. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Jerry Jones has done it before. He did it once already this week. And he’s convinced he’ll be able to do it again.

After convincing defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to remain in place on the Cowboys coaching staff, even though he believes Quinn had a head coaching job from another club on the table, the 79-year-old owner thinks he’ll have offensive coordinator Kellen Moore back, too.

Like Quinn, Moore has been a popular candidate on the interview circuit. The former backup quarterback has apparently landed a second interview with the Miami Dolphins for their head coaching position. But in a radio interview with Dallas station 105.3 The Fan on Friday, Jones told the K&C Masterpiece show he has a good feeling about Moore’s return to Dallas.

The hosts asked Jones a three-part question: Does he tend to get a sense of how things go when a staffer interviews with another club? Does the other team contact the Cowboys to offer information? And does Jones think his offensive coordinator will be back in Dallas in 2022?

Jones gave a very blunt answer that also came in three parts:

“I get a sense. They do not reach out. And I believe he’ll be back next year.”

Moore commandeered the 2021 Cowboys to a No. 1 leaguewide ranking in yards per game and points per game. But the overall production tapered off dramatically after the Week 7 bye, concluding with a rather limp effort in the wild card round of the playoffs versus San Francisco.

As the numbers dropped, public opinion of Moore soured. In the minds of many among the fickle Cowboys fanbase, he went from a creative playcalling mastermind who could replace head coach Mike McCarthy immediately to a predictable Jason Garrett/Scott Linehan disciple who should be run out of town at the earliest opportunity.

So far, Moore has interviewed with Jacksonville, Denver, Minnesota, and Miami for their head coach opening.

Jones reiterated that he wants to keep Moore in the building in Dallas. But he wasn’t opposed to saying that he might be in need of some occasional mentoring from the offensively-minded McCarthy.

The head coach kept Moore on staff when he was hired in 2020, making it plain that he would leave the offense in his young coordinator’s hands.

On Friday, Jones intimated that McCarthy exercising a bit more of his personal influence when it comes to the offensive scheme isn’t out of the question moving forward.

“No question,” Jones said, “that we’re going to attempt- hard- and use everything that Mike has got in his background experience to help us on every part of this football team.”

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Jerry Jones says lack of vocal McCarthy support was about Dan Quinn, not Sean Payton

Jones says he talked Quinn out of taking a head coaching job elsewhere, and his ambiguity on Mike McCarthy was part of the process. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wanted to clear the air after a week of wild speculation about the future of head coach Mike McCarthy, the seemingly imminent loss- and then sudden re-signing- of defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, and the surprise stepping down from the Saints organization of former Cowboys assistant and longtime personal friend Sean Payton.

A week after his final regularly-scheduled appearance of the season on Cowboys flagship radio station 105.3 The Fan, Jones reportedly requested to call in one more time to publicly get a few things off this chest.

Some of it didn’t make much sense.

Jones talked about retaining Quinn, even acknowledging that McCarthy helped in the effort. But he also bizarrely offered Quinn’s whirlwind tour on the coaching-interview circuit as the reason for his own prolonged silence- and subtle digs- about McCarthy’s own future with the club, even as the Cowboys fanbase and TV pundits openly called for McCarthy’s removal as the team’s smartest option.

“The idea of Mike twisting in the wind just wasn’t the case at all,” Jones told the K&C Masterpiece show on Friday. “We’re sitting there trying to keep Dan Quinn and trying to maintain continuity on our coaching staff.”

Quinn was rumored to be the front-runner for the head coaching role in Denver and Chicago, and had second meetings with both clubs. Within the space of a few hours Thursday, the Broncos and Bears announced other hires, and Quinn had committed to staying in Dallas.

To hear Jones tell it, Quinn actually got an offer to return to the head coaching ranks, only to be talked out of accepting by Jones himself.

“I believe that very much,” Jones confirmed.

And according to Jones, McCarthy himself helped with the sales pitch.

“Mike did everything that he could do to help us get and keep and extend Dan Quinn,” Jones said. “There’s no question it was a competitive situation.”

In fact, the market for Quinn was so hot, Jones would have fans believe, that he couldn’t even risk openly promising that McCarthy’s own job in Dallas was safe.

“I couldn’t really get out and speak to it publicly because I didn’t want to push teams toward him. I wanted to keep him for ourselves.”

It’s a strange leap of logic that Jones is asking his audience to make. But somehow Jones seems to imply that staying mum on McCarthy and letting the rumor mill crank at red-line RPMs was the best tack for keeping Quinn in the building in a subordinate role.

“An announcement wasn’t necessary,” Jones said of his silence on McCarthy. “Man, we’re in a competitive situation for key personnel, key coaches here. I didn’t want to be over here pushing and talking about how good they were or how good they weren’t, where we are. All that’s read like a fine-tooth comb with your competition, over teams trying to get your staff.”

That part has happened before. Jones shared that, during his ownership, he’s been able to similarly convince a couple of other high-profile Cowboys coordinators to stay in the fold in a lesser job.

“I’ve had two other occasions in my career where a coach- coordinator- was offered a head coaching job and I got them not to accept it,” Jones said. “One was with Sean Payton; he was offered the job at the Raiders when Parcells was the head coach. I asked him to not take it and stay coordinating and see what happens with the future here with the Cowboys. And then I asked Jason Garrett to do the same thing; he passed on a head coaching job as well, to stay here and be a part of the future of the Cowboys.”

Payton went on to coach New Orleans; Garrett became the head man in Dallas.

Quinn remains DC… for now. Jones isn’t ready to talk about what may be down the road for the 51-year-old, instead suggesting that this is a long-term extension.

“He is staying and being our coordinator for years to come.”

But whispers about how Jones should fire McCarthy and install Quinn as the Cowboys head coach were getting rather loud as recently as this past week.

Jones was admittedly frustrated following the team’s wild-card loss to San Francisco, and the owner declined to discuss his head coach’s status in the immediate wake of the 23-17 defeat. Jerry’s son Stephen said the next day he felt “confident” that McCarthy would remain in place, but no more was spoken about it until last Friday’s radio call-in, when Jerry offered cryptically, “I’ve got a lot to think about regarding these coaches.”

This Friday, he attempted to clarify his remarks.

“What I said on the show, and I’ve said it several times,” Jones said, “is that I’ve got everybody under contract that I want under contract. It’s just a question of whether, under the rules, they’re going to be able to get out of the contract. And so we went out and did something about and reinforced at the most critical level with Dan. It was never an issue with me, with Mike being the head coach. You never heard that from me.”

But by not explicitly stating that McCarthy was his man, Jones has to know he was leaving loads of room for doubt.

“I was sitting there being coy… it was taken as though I were somehow wishy-washy. Unh-unh.”

Some listeners even suggested that Jones was playing the part of the angered team owner in his season-ending phoner, merely placating a disappointed fanbase by ranting and raving and hinting at changes that he had no intention of making.

This time, Jones was asked point-blank to respond to those allegations.

“I really don’t know how to respond to faking to be angry. I’ve been told that I’m easy to read. I wear it out on the cuff,” Jones said. “I am frustrated. I’m still frustrated. If the wound is open, I want to rub salt in it. I want it to hurt. I’m being dramatic here, but this hurt. And I want to do everything we can to remind us continually how bad it hurt to have to go home two weekends ago. This hurt. We had a good football team… I know this: it sure helped me make the decisions I made yesterday to keep Dan Quinn.”

Stroking the check to Quinn is a brilliant move that keeps his considerable defensive talents in Dallas. Leaving McCarthy and Cowboys fans to twist in the wind for ten days- because that’s exactly what Jones did with regard to his head coach- is a completely separate issue. Trying to convince the world the two things were all part of the same master plan is just insulting.

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Jerry Jones weighs coaches, players as Cowboys move forward: ‘We deserve better’

The Cowboys owner is still stinging following the team’s early playoff exit. There’s no telling who- if anyone- will be held accountable. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is still hurting, five full days after the team’s ouster from the postseason. During a wide-ranging and eye-opening interview on Dallas radio station 105.3 The Fan on Friday afternoon, a noticeable frustrated Jones took plenty of shots following the 23-17 loss to San Francisco, with coaches and players alike landing in his crosshairs.

Head coach Mike McCarthy may not be as safe as previously thought. The same goes for recently untouchable assets like wideout Amari Cooper. Jones kept his options open during the conversation, but made it clear by the tone of his voice that a rinse-and-repeat won’t be acceptable for next season.

Jones admitted that the loss still stung on Monday as he addressed the team during the final dispersal meeting. But he wished the players and coaches could have gotten the full, undiluted brunt of the disappointment he felt immediately after the loss.

“When I spoke to everybody Monday after the game, I said I wish- and I don’t know why I’m rubbing salt in it. I’m just trying to make it hurt more,” Jones told the K&C Masterpiece show. “I’d like to have a meeting like that the day of the game, so that we could all feel together just how you feel when you look up and there’s no more to play.”

A significant portion of Cowboys Nation is calling for sweeping changes to the staff after the collapse of such a promising roster. Before he left AT&T Stadium Sunday night, Jones was cryptic when asked about McCarthy’s future, saying, “I don’t even want to discuss anything like that at this particular time.” Team executive vice president Stephen Jones swooped in Monday, though, to say he felt “very confident” that McCarthy would be staying on.

But maybe not everything in Dallas is set in stone, as Jerry was quick to point out.

“I haven’t completed my overall evaluation, and I don’t have any idea when I will complete my overall evaluation. But there are a lot of moving parts here, as you know. We have 29 coaches. It’s not uncommon at all for members of coaching staff to come and go. This is par for the course. That’s the NFL today,” Jones said. “I won’t get into any conversations that I’ve had with anybody relative to anything to do with the staff. I understand the interest in it, but there’s nothing compelling me.”

No, there’s nothing compelling Jones to speak publicly on his mindset concerning the Cowboys coaches. But there also wasn’t a question asked about it. Jones had actually been asked for an overall evaluation of the season; he volunteered to start his answer by talking about coaching changes.

He finished the answer there, too.

“I’ve got a lot to think about regarding these coaches. I’ve got a lot regarding these scouts. I’ve got a lot to think about regarding various aspects of the organization.”

Whether that’s a foreshadowing of some kind of seismic shift at The Star or just in-the-moment window dressing to placate an angry fanbase remains to be seen.

Of course, it’s the coaching staff who has come under fire for many of the team’s weaknesses. Fixable issues like pre-snap penalties, missed kicks, clock management, and playcalling gaffes- many of the issues that came into play Sunday against the 49ers- had haunted the Cowboys as early as Week 1.

Jones appears to have tired of those items not being adequately addressed in the 18 weeks that followed.

“One of the pet peeves I have is that I don’t like this, ‘Well, we’ve got to work on this in the offseason, we’ve got to work on this.’ I don’t go for that. I’ve been trying to push that. I want those things recognized and addressed after we play Tampa, after the first game, or after we play the sixth game. I don’t want to wait until we’re sitting here with no season left to address these things we’re doing or not doing.”

The club was effective, however, in shoring up many weaknesses on the roster. McCarthy and his staff were able to bring in an assortment of veterans in free agency who helped Dallas engineer an impressive turnaround, doubling 2020’s win total.

“Those free agents, those one- and two-year free agents that we added in here were an outstanding group of players, and they really were contributors and could have contributed more,” Jones offered. “We had outstanding receivers, and there are people playing with a lot less on the offensive line than we are in the NFL. And so we’ve got to step up here and analyze how we’re going to approach it. This is all good to look back. Nothing wrong with living in the past and looking back a little bit.”

But gazing in the rear-view mirror, the 79-year-old owner knows not all of the same contributors will be in the Cowboys’ future for 2022. That certainly goes for players, but would also seem to apply to coaches, scouts, and anyone else currently on the Cowboys payroll.

“Nothing counts but this morning, this afternoon, and the next weeks ahead. So we’re going to do something about it,” Jones promised. “If I thought changing out men at any level would improve us, I would change it out. I’ve looked around. I see a lot of names, a lot of great names, a lot of names from colleges, a lot of great names. I see them coming through. I’ve seen a lot of great names at various duties in the NFL come and go over the last 30 years. I haven’t seen but a couple of them that might have a straight shot into what’s up above.”

Of course, it’s all about putting the Cowboys into the uppermost echelon by winning a sixth Lombardi Trophy. That goal has eluded Jones for a quarter-century now, and has swallowed whole the career of many a player who, at one time or another, seemed to carry the hopes of the franchise on his back.

“I’m very, very frustrated and upset that we’ve- you can call it COVID, you can call it anything,” Jones said. “But we have used up some very talented players over the last few years.”

This season was just the latest chapter of a book that Cowboys Nation has gotten used to reading.

For longtime veterans like the aforementioned Cooper and DeMarcus Lawrence, 2021 represented perhaps their best chance at a Super Bowl. Their huge contracts certainly represented a belief by Jones that they’d be instrumental pieces in getting the Cowboys there.

Now with major surgery required to get the club under the salary cap for 2022, both players are suddenly less of a sure thing as the roster-building starts all over again.

“We have ten players- and this is the way it is around the NFL,” Jones reminded, “we have ten players that get two-thirds of the money. Ten… that gets two-thirds of the money. And so you’ve got to have a lot of other things that is [part of the] thought process when you’re sitting here talking about somebody’s contracts.”

One of those other things is, obviously, on-the-field performance. Cooper’s, especially, dropped off considerably. His 865 receiving yards was his lowest output for a season since 2017; his catch percentage of 65.4% is also his lowest since that same year. Not what Jones had been hoping for when he cracked open the vault for Cooper in 2020.

With second-year receiver CeeDee Lamb still on the rise and Michael Gallup still in the building, many have suggested that Cooper is the most expendable one of the talented group, given his exorbitant price.

Jones wasn’t ready to speak specifically about Cooper’s future with the club. But he did intimate that the team should have been getting more bang for their buck, especially down the stretch.

“No, I don’t have any comment on Cooper’s contract. I thought that the way we were playing early, when we did make something happen, I thought Cooper had a big part in that,” Jones went on. “How he fits in, he should take half the field with him when he runs a route. Not half, that’s an exaggeration, of course, but a whole bunch of that defense ought to have to honor Cooper. He ought to be able to catch it in the middle when they’re going with him. Others do; you throw to people that are covered all the time in the NFL. You have to.”

McCarthy and Cooper are just two examples, of course. There’s a much longer list of individuals who have room for improvement and a plethora of reasons why the Cowboys are watching the divisional round of the playoffs from the couch instead of taking the field.

When the expectations are high, so is the fall when they aren’t reached.

“I thought we did a really, a really good job of getting to the playoffs,” Jones said. “Still, I can’t get over what we did in the playoffs.”

On this point, at least, the Cowboys owner and Cowboys fans are in perfect alignment.

“We deserve better than that.”

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Troy Aikman baffled by Cowboys abandoning CeeDee Lamb vs 49ers: ‘The game is not that difficult’

The HOF quarterback can’t understand why the offense got so far away from electrifying WR CeeDee Lamb, given the 49ers’ coverage scheme. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Everyone has an opinion on what the Cowboys should have done Sunday against the 49ers. An after-the-fact gameplan from your cousin Carl who almost made it to state one year and still watches, like, all the games is one thing. When the armchair quarterback in question has three Super Bowl rings and a bronze bust in Canton, though, it’s probably worth paying attention to.

Hall of Famer Troy Aikman had some things to say during a radio interview with Dallas radio station KTCK The Ticket 1310 AM/96.7 FM on Wednesday. In a nutshell, the former Cowboys signal-caller believes the current squad may have simply tried to get too cute when it mattered the most, all but abandoning one of their top playmakers.

“CeeDee Lamb, what did he have? One catch in the game?” Aikman asked.

Here’s a look at the second-year receiver’s day, quarter by quarter:

1Q 32-yard reception wiped out by penalty
2Q 5-yard rush
3Q 0 catches (3 targets)
18-yard reception wiped out by penalty
4Q 10-yard reception
0 catches (1 target)
11 yards after Cedrick Wilson lateral

A single recorded catch. Twenty-one yards, 11 of them tacked on to the end of one of someone else’s grabs. It was the only game Lamb played in all season where he didn’t finish with multiple receptions.

One of the most electrifying players in the league was almost completely shut down… but it was by his own offense.

“There was a lot of single coverage on CeeDee Lamb,” Aikman continued. “If it was back when I was playing — and I hate going back to that point because nobody cares — but what I see around the league… a lot of these offenses, they want to scheme things. The coordinators, it’s all about scheme rather than this corner is playing soft, he’s scared to death. Just run the route tree. Just run a comeback. Run a dig route. Run a curl. Run anything. And you’re going to complete the pass whenever you want, and [Michael] Irvin would have had 10 catches at halftime if they played us the way that they played CeeDee Lamb in that game. So, I just don’t quite understand that.”

The three-time Super Bowl champ and current FOX analyst went on to say that he was talking about the trend with Peyton Manning at John Madden’s memorial service on Tuesday.

“He agreed,” Aikman shared. “The game is not that difficult. If I’ve got a great player at wide receiver, and a corner is playing him single-coverage, throw him the ball. He’s going to win most of the time.”

By ignoring their bread and butter and trying to throw the kitchen sink at San Francisco instead, the Cowboys were sent home unsatisfied once again, still starving when it comes to deep postseason success.

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Dak Prescott, Mike McCarthy back frustrated Cowboys WR Amari Cooper

The wideout publicly claimed to be frustrated by a lack of opportunities lately; his QB and coach say that’s exactly how it should be. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper isn’t known as a guy to shoot off his mouth carelessly. So when he repeatedly used the word “frustrated” in an interview this week to talk about his recent dip in production, it caught the attention of many.

Some headlines were quick to play up that one word, but savvy fans know better than to paint Cooper with the same brush as past diva wideouts who whined loud and long to every hot microphone they could find about their number of targets.

But there’s no dissension in the ranks in Dallas. In this case, the veteran’s teammates and coaches fully support and agree with what Cooper said.

Cooper would no doubt like a little more action in the Cowboys offense. Right now, though, so would nearly every member of that unit, as the defense has carried the team on their current three-game winning streak.

And that was the question that started the brouhaha in a call-in Thursday with a Dallas radio station. Cooper was asked if it bothers him that the offense is struggling or that he’s not getting the ball, even while the team is winning.

“I’ve got to be honest, it actually does,” Cooper told 105.3 The Fan. “Because, yeah, we’re winning, but the defense is playing a huge part in that. We’re not really as explosive as we should be. We’re not converting a lot of their turnovers to touchdowns. A lot of them are field goals. And I feel like I could be a huge part of that, so that’s what frustrates me,” Cooper said. “I think I can do more in the red zone if I get the targets. I think I can do more on third downs if I get the targets. To help the offense be where we need to be, I definitely think I can help change that, for sure.”

A four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver believing he can help his struggling offense by having the ball thrown to him in key situations. Is that selfish… or is it exactly what the team’s top-earning and highest-profile pass-catcher should say?

Cooper’s stats are frustratingly pedestrian this season. He exploded in Week 1 with 13 catches, 139 yards, and a pair of scores on 17 targets. Since then, he’s topped 100 yards just once and maxed out at eight receptions (both in the win over Minnesota, when Cooper Rush was filling in for Dak Prescott).

In November and December combined, Cooper has been targeted just 23 times. He’s hauled in 15 balls for 188 yards and one touchdown. Of course, he missed two games with COVID… and caught heat for his unvaccinated status that forced him to sit out games that the team ultimately lost to Kansas City and Las Vegas.

Sunday’s game in New York represented Cooper’s poorest statistical showing of the season: two receptions, eight yards. But on a blustery day in the Meadowlands, the Cowboys appeared to favor the run attack and taking points where they were available, knowing a shootout likely wouldn’t be unnecessary. Both of the team’s touchdowns came on short fields following a defensive takeaway.

Defense won the day, to be sure. And Cooper made it sound like he’s not the only offensive playmaker who’s itching to get back to lighting up the scoreboard.

“That’s part of the reason why Dak made that bet with D-Law about how many turnovers they get versus how many touchdowns we get,” Cooper continued in his radio hit. “We understand how dominant they’ve been, and we want to match that energy, because when we both come out and play like that, we’re going to be unstoppable. That’s my biggest goal for us, because I know what it can lead to. And that’s why it does frustrate me a little bit. Yeah, we are winning, but we haven’t been playing to our potential lately as an offense. That’s very frustrating.”

That no longer sounds like an individual player throwing a temper tantrum over not getting enough balls. That kind of sounds like a locker room leader pushing his teammates to a higher standard.

The Cowboys offense leads the NFL in raw yards per game, averaging over 403 per outing. It’s a gargantuan pie. And divvying it up among many mouths has been an emphasis in Kellen Moore’s creative offense.

By Thursday afternoon, Cooper acknowledged the problem with being part of an offensive unit so stacked with talent.

“We’ve got a whole bunch of playmakers on offense, and there’s only one ball,” Cooper told reporters after practice. “I’m just staying ready for when my opportunity does come, because it will come. You’ve got to be cognizant of your number not being called in a long time, and then it’s going to get called at the most important time. And you might not be ready for it because it hasn’t been called in so long. But I’m just going to stay ready so when it does happen, I can be my normal self.”

Cooper’s normal self may seem to those outside the facility as quiet and reserved, his public complaints about targets somewhat out of character. But the veteran says he’s made his feelings known to those around him who have the power to change things.

“I’m always in Dak’s ear. I’m always talking to Kellen. So at the end of the day, it’s not really my call. But I’m going to stay ready.”

His quarterback knows full well that Cooper hasn’t been as involved as he would like. And he has no problem with Cooper saying so. In fact, he agrees with him.

“I mean, you want to get the ball to him,” Prescott said Thursday. “You’d much rather have a guy saying that and a guy hungry for the ball than him shying away from it in critical situations or just when you need to. It’s a balance. We’ve got a lot of playmakers on this team and on this offense, particularly when you’re talking about the receivers: not just those three, but the guys- Ced[rick Wilson] and Malik [Turner] behind them- and then you’ve got two great backs. It’s only one ball. He understands that, and he does whatever he can to help the team when he’s not getting the ball. But yeah, I would love to get him the ball more, as much as some of the other guys.”

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy also downplayed any so-called drama caused by Cooper voicing a desire to get more opportunities.

“I have no issue with guys wanting to do more. That’s definitely what you’re looking for,” McCarthy said on a conference call Friday.

“Everybody’s committed to the final result,” the coach explained. “How you get there is always the fun part of the challenge, particularly when you have a number of guys that can contribute and want to contribute. I just think that’s all part of it. Big picture focus: complementary football is the goal, and we all understand it takes all three phases. I think the fact that all three phases have shown the ability to be the lead dog based on the week and based on the competition, hopefully, will benefit us moving forward.”

It may benefit the Cowboys passing game specifically this Sunday night. Washington comes in to Arlington giving up the third-most passing yards per game in the league.

Cooper may be taking his well-documented frustrations out before a national audience.

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Connor McGovern to start at LG per owner, Cowboys HC McCarthy hopeful for Tyron Smith return

Jerry Jones confirmed a switch at left guard. Mike McCarthy said only, “both Connors will play,” and is hopeful that Tyron Smith will go. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The Cowboys have yet to see their “best five” offensive linemen take the field together in the starting lineup in 2021. With left tackle Tyron Smith trending in the right direction after a two-game absence, it could finally happen in Kansas City on Sunday.

It just may not be the five everyone thought it was going to be.

While head coach Mike McCarthy sounds optimistic that Smith could be back for the Week 11 game versus the Chiefs, another piece on the left side of the offensive line could also be changing as well. It’s a change many within the fanbase have been clamoring for.

Owner Jerry Jones confirmed on Dallas radio that third-year player Connor McGovern will be getting the start at left guard against the Chiefs, replacing Connor Williams. Williams has started at that spot in every game this season for the Cowboys.

“I think he’s basically earned [it],” Jones said, per 105.3 The Fan.

McGovern has seen plenty of snaps in 2021, but at various other positions in the offense, lining up in special formations as a blocking back, a tight end, and even split out as a wide receiver. Now he appears set to step in at left guard, despite playing right guard for most of his career.

“The issue with him is playing left guard,” Jones continued. “He has really sold the staff and sold the team on what he can do at right guard. So he’s doing two things. He’s not only going to have that role, but he’s going to be doing it at left guard.”

McGovern started nine games at right guard last season after Zack Martin suffered a concussion and then returned to the lineup as a fill-in right tackle.

Williams has been plagued by penalties this season, drawing a league-most 13 flags in nine outings. Asked about it earlier in the week, McCarthy hinted that swapping one Connor for another might be an option.

McCarthy said Williams “clearly understands the way he performed. We have a very competitive offensive line room. We’ll see what the future brings.”

It seems the future is now here at left guard. McCarthy wouldn’t confirm a change to the starting lineup, only revealing to 105.3 The Fan that “both Connors will play in the game.”

The coach did, however, express optimism that left tackle Tyron Smith could be making his return to the left side of the line for Sunday’s interconference showdown in Kansas City.

“We’re hopeful he can go on Sunday,” the coach said of Smith at The Star in Frisco on Friday. The 30-year-old was limited in practice on both Wednesday and Thursday, with the team working him back gradually from a bone spur issue in his ankle. Friday is traditionally the team’s mock game day; Smith was scheduled to participate.

That would have him meeting the three-game threshold that McCarthy and the training staff had laid out for Smith’s week and leaves one last hurdle for the Week 11 showdown. If Smith practices Saturday, the plan is for him to take the field on Sunday.

“He looks good,” McCarthy offered. “He felt good about his work.”

And Cowboys fans have cause to feel good, too, with the team’s seven-time Pro Bowler returning to his customary spot at left tackle and a rising star getting a shot next to him in replacing a weak link.

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