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IRVING, Texas—As the NFL is coming to terms with the Dallas Cowboys' surprising 5-1 start and new-found status as a legitimate Super Bowl contender, you might as well start wrapping your mind around something else.
It’s something possibly bolder and even more shocking. Consider owner/general manager Jerry Jones as a leading contender for NFL Executive of the Year.
It goes without saying that Jason Garrett is a candidate for Coach of the Year honors.
The same goes for league-leading rusher DeMarco Murray and the NFL's Most Valuable Player Award and/or Offensive Player of the Year.
Add defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli and offensive play-caller Scott Linehan to the top of the list for Assistant Coach of the Year honors.
And middle linebacker Rolando McClain is a clear favorite for Comeback Player of the Year.
But what about Jones?
If the Cowboys keep rolling and make the playoffs, let alone get to the Super Bowl, the man who put it all together can't be denied.
Most people pegged the Cowboys as a five or six-win team in 2014.
No one had them waking up like this, nearly flawless.
If his team wins it all, Jones will take a cue from new Cowboys fan Beyonce and make sure everyone “bows down.”
Certainly there is a question of whether the Cowboys are winning in spite of Jones.
Garrett and assistant personnel director Will McClay have had major influence in building the Cowboys roster.
Vice-president Stephen Jones gets credit for managing the salary cap and being the voice of reason.
But none of this happens without Jones' approval, even if it comes begrudgingly at times.
Remember, Jones has gone on record a number of times since the 2014 NFL draft openly lamenting the Cowboys' decision to pass on Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel with their 16th pick in the first round.
Garrett, McClay and his son Stephen made the collective decision to go with Notre Dame guard Zack Martin.
The pick was not exciting but it proved to be the final piece in building the league's best offensive line, which has been the foundation of the Cowboys' success in 2014.
It was the third time in four years that the Cowboys picked an offensive lineman in the first round, joining tackle Tyron Smith in 2011 and center Travis Frederick in 2013.
While Jones liked Manziel, he ultimately agreed to stick with the plan of building up front like the Cowboys did in the 1990s when they won three Super Bowl titles in four years.
Contrary to popular opinion, Jones has shown he will listen to the advice of others.
He proved that again last Sunday in the post-game locker room following the Cowboys' shocking 30-23 victory against the Seattle Seahawks.
He finally stopped gushing about missing out on Manziel and gave his current quarterback Tony Romo some much-needed love.
"Well, I don’t know how that’s relevant," responded Jones when asked if still regretted passing on Manziel. "I’m really not so sure I’m ready to admit a miss-thought. It is not relevant, and I really have had some very stern, succinct instructions not to mention Johnny any more from people who count, let me put it like that. Our quarterback play today was the difference, really, at the end of the day."
Jones' abilities as general manager over the years has been worthy of criticism. The Cowboys have one playoff win since 1997, while going through six coaches, a slew of bad contracts and salary cap hell.
But you can't blame him for everything that went wrong and then not give him credit when things go right.
Only prickly former coach Jimmy Johnson, the architect of the three Super Bowl title teams of the 1990s, gets a pass on doing that.
It wasn't lost on Jones that last Sunday's watershed victory against the Seahawks came on the 25th anniversary of the infamous Hershel Walker trade with the Minnesota Vikings. It was the one that gave the Cowboys a horde of draft picks and helped spur Super Bowl titles in 1992, 1993 and 1995.
Johnson has been all over television taking credit for making the trade without Jones and informing him later.
Jones, who was the general manager then as he is now, has always disputed Johnson's version of the events and made a point to bring up the trade in the joyous post-game locker room on Sunday.
Asked how much he enjoyed the win, Jones said, "Frankly more than I could have expected, almost as good as the Herschel Walker trade."
Asked if there was any chance Johnson would take credit for building the current offensive line with the three first-round picks, Jones said with a grin, "What do you think? There is still an ‘I’ in that alphabet, isn’t there?"
But it's not just about the offensive line, the Cowboys' success in 2014 can be attributed to some calculated decisions made by the front office in the offseason.
It started with Jones bringing Garrett back for another season after four straight years out of the playoffs and three straight 8-8 campaigns.
Before this season, Garrett had a 29-26 record after three-and-a-half years as head coach.
Jones could have moved on but didn't.
He also allowed Garrett to make some changes in his coaching staff, kicking defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin upstairs to an advisory role and promoting Marinelli from defensive line coach.
Garrett added Linehan, the former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator, as play-caller and passing game coordinator.
That move didn't sit well with offensive line coach/offensive coordinator Bill Callahan, who had called plays in 2013. Callahan wanted to leave to pursue other opportunities but Jones blocked him at every turn.
Jones was adamant on keeping him in charge of the team's offensive line.
Callahan's unit is now the best on the team.
And then there were the tough player decisions, as the Cowboys released aging defensive end DeMarcus Ware, the franchise all-time leader in sacks, for salary cap reasons.
They also allowed Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Hatcher, who led the team in sacks in 2013, to walk in free agency.
It was all part of the Cowboys' plan to get younger on defense even though it left them with no proven playmakers.
"We’ve made some very conscious decisions to have the team out there that we have," Jones said. "We decided not to renew DeMarcus Ware, we decided not to have Hatcher, and so what we got is a result of our decisions. Are the guys who are out there, are they stepping up and filling that void? Yes they are."
What might have been Jones’ biggest move was the last and, possibly, the boldest.
It was the desperate July trade with the Baltimore Ravens to acquire McClain to replace injured middle linebacker Sean Lee.
McClain signed with Ravens before the 2013 season but retired twice since. He had not played football since being unceremoniously released by the Oakland Raiders in 2012.
And while Garrett used his relationship with Alabama coach Nick Saban to get the scoop on whether McClain had grown up and was worth adding to the roster, it was Jones who sealed the deal with a phone call while on vacation.
“He convinced me that I could play again,” McClain said at training camp in July. “He called me from Turkey. I figured that had to be an expensive phone. It was pretty serious for me from that point.”
Baltimore gave the Cowboys the rights to McClain and a 2015 seventh-round draft pick in exchange for a 2015 sixth-round choice. Jones gave McClain a one-year deal at the league minimum of $700,000.
McClain has made all the difference on defense, setting the tone with his physical style of play while showing the skills that made him the eighth overall pick of the Raiders in the 2010 draft.
The former draft bust is now the team leader in words and deed. He is first in tackles, tackles for loss and interceptions.
You can't deny Jones McClain. He bet little with a minimum contract and won big.
McClain is definitely his ledger.
And if the Cowboys keep rolling, you won't be able to deny him the NFL Executive of the Year award.
All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Clarence Hill covers the Cowboys for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Read more Dallas Cowboys news on BleacherReport.com
Continue reading...
It’s something possibly bolder and even more shocking. Consider owner/general manager Jerry Jones as a leading contender for NFL Executive of the Year.
It goes without saying that Jason Garrett is a candidate for Coach of the Year honors.
The same goes for league-leading rusher DeMarco Murray and the NFL's Most Valuable Player Award and/or Offensive Player of the Year.
Add defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli and offensive play-caller Scott Linehan to the top of the list for Assistant Coach of the Year honors.
And middle linebacker Rolando McClain is a clear favorite for Comeback Player of the Year.
But what about Jones?
If the Cowboys keep rolling and make the playoffs, let alone get to the Super Bowl, the man who put it all together can't be denied.
Most people pegged the Cowboys as a five or six-win team in 2014.
No one had them waking up like this, nearly flawless.
If his team wins it all, Jones will take a cue from new Cowboys fan Beyonce and make sure everyone “bows down.”
Certainly there is a question of whether the Cowboys are winning in spite of Jones.
Garrett and assistant personnel director Will McClay have had major influence in building the Cowboys roster.
Vice-president Stephen Jones gets credit for managing the salary cap and being the voice of reason.
But none of this happens without Jones' approval, even if it comes begrudgingly at times.
Remember, Jones has gone on record a number of times since the 2014 NFL draft openly lamenting the Cowboys' decision to pass on Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel with their 16th pick in the first round.
Garrett, McClay and his son Stephen made the collective decision to go with Notre Dame guard Zack Martin.
The pick was not exciting but it proved to be the final piece in building the league's best offensive line, which has been the foundation of the Cowboys' success in 2014.
It was the third time in four years that the Cowboys picked an offensive lineman in the first round, joining tackle Tyron Smith in 2011 and center Travis Frederick in 2013.
While Jones liked Manziel, he ultimately agreed to stick with the plan of building up front like the Cowboys did in the 1990s when they won three Super Bowl titles in four years.
Contrary to popular opinion, Jones has shown he will listen to the advice of others.
He proved that again last Sunday in the post-game locker room following the Cowboys' shocking 30-23 victory against the Seattle Seahawks.
He finally stopped gushing about missing out on Manziel and gave his current quarterback Tony Romo some much-needed love.
"Well, I don’t know how that’s relevant," responded Jones when asked if still regretted passing on Manziel. "I’m really not so sure I’m ready to admit a miss-thought. It is not relevant, and I really have had some very stern, succinct instructions not to mention Johnny any more from people who count, let me put it like that. Our quarterback play today was the difference, really, at the end of the day."
Jones' abilities as general manager over the years has been worthy of criticism. The Cowboys have one playoff win since 1997, while going through six coaches, a slew of bad contracts and salary cap hell.
But you can't blame him for everything that went wrong and then not give him credit when things go right.
Only prickly former coach Jimmy Johnson, the architect of the three Super Bowl title teams of the 1990s, gets a pass on doing that.
It wasn't lost on Jones that last Sunday's watershed victory against the Seahawks came on the 25th anniversary of the infamous Hershel Walker trade with the Minnesota Vikings. It was the one that gave the Cowboys a horde of draft picks and helped spur Super Bowl titles in 1992, 1993 and 1995.
Johnson has been all over television taking credit for making the trade without Jones and informing him later.
Jones, who was the general manager then as he is now, has always disputed Johnson's version of the events and made a point to bring up the trade in the joyous post-game locker room on Sunday.
Asked how much he enjoyed the win, Jones said, "Frankly more than I could have expected, almost as good as the Herschel Walker trade."
Asked if there was any chance Johnson would take credit for building the current offensive line with the three first-round picks, Jones said with a grin, "What do you think? There is still an ‘I’ in that alphabet, isn’t there?"
But it's not just about the offensive line, the Cowboys' success in 2014 can be attributed to some calculated decisions made by the front office in the offseason.
It started with Jones bringing Garrett back for another season after four straight years out of the playoffs and three straight 8-8 campaigns.
Before this season, Garrett had a 29-26 record after three-and-a-half years as head coach.
Jones could have moved on but didn't.
He also allowed Garrett to make some changes in his coaching staff, kicking defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin upstairs to an advisory role and promoting Marinelli from defensive line coach.
Garrett added Linehan, the former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator, as play-caller and passing game coordinator.
That move didn't sit well with offensive line coach/offensive coordinator Bill Callahan, who had called plays in 2013. Callahan wanted to leave to pursue other opportunities but Jones blocked him at every turn.
Jones was adamant on keeping him in charge of the team's offensive line.
Callahan's unit is now the best on the team.
And then there were the tough player decisions, as the Cowboys released aging defensive end DeMarcus Ware, the franchise all-time leader in sacks, for salary cap reasons.
They also allowed Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Hatcher, who led the team in sacks in 2013, to walk in free agency.
It was all part of the Cowboys' plan to get younger on defense even though it left them with no proven playmakers.
"We’ve made some very conscious decisions to have the team out there that we have," Jones said. "We decided not to renew DeMarcus Ware, we decided not to have Hatcher, and so what we got is a result of our decisions. Are the guys who are out there, are they stepping up and filling that void? Yes they are."
What might have been Jones’ biggest move was the last and, possibly, the boldest.
It was the desperate July trade with the Baltimore Ravens to acquire McClain to replace injured middle linebacker Sean Lee.
McClain signed with Ravens before the 2013 season but retired twice since. He had not played football since being unceremoniously released by the Oakland Raiders in 2012.
And while Garrett used his relationship with Alabama coach Nick Saban to get the scoop on whether McClain had grown up and was worth adding to the roster, it was Jones who sealed the deal with a phone call while on vacation.
“He convinced me that I could play again,” McClain said at training camp in July. “He called me from Turkey. I figured that had to be an expensive phone. It was pretty serious for me from that point.”
Baltimore gave the Cowboys the rights to McClain and a 2015 seventh-round draft pick in exchange for a 2015 sixth-round choice. Jones gave McClain a one-year deal at the league minimum of $700,000.
McClain has made all the difference on defense, setting the tone with his physical style of play while showing the skills that made him the eighth overall pick of the Raiders in the 2010 draft.
The former draft bust is now the team leader in words and deed. He is first in tackles, tackles for loss and interceptions.
You can't deny Jones McClain. He bet little with a minimum contract and won big.
McClain is definitely his ledger.
And if the Cowboys keep rolling, you won't be able to deny him the NFL Executive of the Year award.
All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Clarence Hill covers the Cowboys for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Read more Dallas Cowboys news on BleacherReport.com
Continue reading...