How effective has Will McClay been?

[Kaiser]

You are probably to young to remember the drafting after Jimmy Johnson left and when McClay took over. If he is average and overrated then the other 31 teams are really bad.

Its also player evaluation of guys already in the NFL. We aren't throwing money at big name busts but we have a bunch of low cost gambles that have worked out with guys like Kerry Hyder, Devin Smith, Antwuan Woods, Joe Looney, Terrell McClain, etc. You can add Amari Cooper to that list too, no one else wanted to give up a #1 for him and that looks like a bargain now.

 

[ItzKelz]

Hes average and massively overrated by this fanbase

I disagree. I think coaching was correctly assessed by the fan base as being pore and did not do much with the talent acquired while McClay has been in the position he holds.

 

[Whyjerry]

McClay’s bar is unbelievably low. Just before he got to Dallas Jerry was setting the standard for bad personnel decisions. That he has brought some intelligence to the mix and convinced Jerry to listen to him is a great thing and something all fans should get behind. That said his record is spotty. He clearly is not in the upper echelon of NFL personnel guys.

 

[Kaiser]

not sure really . Am not sure how good he is or how bad he is . Am wondering if he is any good. But i don't see evidence he is that good.

So you were in a coma starting in 2014 and just this second woke up? You don't think the talent level has improved since the days of starting Nick Hayden and George Selvie?

 

[cmoney23]

I hear a lot of praise for Will McClay and his influence on jerry and stephen when it comes to draft selections . But do we actually know how effective he has been ? The latest draft picks have not been that great ( Gregory , Taco , Trysten Hill , LVE injury history etc ) ? Does he make the final decisions anyway ? Any inside knowledge or thoughts on McClay ?

When viewed through the prism of hindsight making these comparisons can be easy.

You need to look at this on a broader scale.
Here is a good point. https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/201...ber-of-pro-bowlers-drafted-over-last-10-years

 

[Corso]

Then why do other teams keep trying to hire him away?

Because because because because becaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuse...
Because of the wonderful things he does!

 

[DFWJC]

I think I read that Dallas is at the very top or near the top of the entire NFL in Pro Bowls made by players drafted in the McClay era.
Yes, Pro Bowls are overrated and often not deserved--especially at QB, where so many bail out--but it still is a measurable number.

I also think they are near the top in total player snaps, based on drafted players.

That too is measurable, and not just someone's emotional feelings.

He's no Ozzie Newsome, but he also doesn't get to make the picks either.

 

[Ranched]

But do we actually know how effective he has been ? The latest draft picks have not been that great ( Gregory , Taco , Trysten Hill , LVE injury history etc ) ? Does he make the final decisions anyway ? Any inside knowledge or thoughts on McClay ?

In all fairness, Dallas hit on some later round picks which helped salvage those otherwise disappointing drafts. Players like Lewis, Gallup, Brown, Pollard, Armstrong & Woods have all outperformed their draft position.

Since Will’s been running personnel in Dallas, the Boys have experienced some of their most successful drafts in their long and storied history.

 

[Cebrin]

Yes Watts was a no brainer over Taco, who is a complete bust.

Taco was definitely meh, but would TJ have faired as well here in a 4-3? Even DeMarcus Ware struggled with that transition.

 

[Corso]

Taco was definitely meh, but would TJ have faired as well here in a 4-3? Even DeMarcus Ware struggled with that transition.

Good question.

 

[G2]

Not every player fits or pans out, the good outweighs the bad and you can't evaluate last years draft already.

 

[CowboyRoy]

I hear a lot of praise for Will McClay and his influence on jerry and stephen when it comes to draft selections . But do we actually know how effective he has been ? The latest draft picks have not been that great ( Gregory , Taco , Trysten Hill , LVE injury history etc ) ? Does he make the final decisions anyway ? Any inside knowledge or thoughts on McClay ?

Only ones there that were highly questionable have been Hill and Taco. Clearly these were Merinilli highly influencing the pick.

In fact.............TJ Watt was HIGHER on the Cowboys draft board. Which is a board that McClay would be in charge of. It would be Merinelli that tells Jones that he simply does not fit the scheme. So Taco was taken before him.

 

[CowboyRoy]

thanks for this . This means he picked a first round bust in Taco !! am getting worried this guy is another overrated brown noser in the FO. Hope MM steps in and picks the players he wants.

McClay had TJ Watt ranked higher on his board than Taco. That is a fact. It was Merinelli and Jones that decided to go after Taco. They passed on Watt for Taco. The Steelers are still laughing in our faces as the took Watt with the very next pick.

 

[joshjwp]

Some of those players that you mentioned he did not want but was thrust on him by some of coaches namely Marinelli. I have heard that he wanted Watts over Taco.

Bingo

 

[KingintheNorth]

McClay is a no-waves guy. You want your chief talent evaluator to have some conviction.

 

[Corso]

McClay is a no-waves guy. You want your chief talent evaluator to have some conviction.

Depends on the individual's sitch.

Making waves can get you fired from the Cowboys in a hot sec.
Subtle manipulation seems like the name of the game over there.

Get my hotness in that mess. I'll worm my up to the point we need.

I'm bored right now anyways. Nothing going on.

 

[KingintheNorth]

Depends on the individual's sitch.

Making waves can get you fired from the Cowboys in a hot sec.
Subtle manipulation seems like the name of the game over there.

Get my hotness in that mess. I'll worm my up to the point we need.

I'm bored right now anyways. Nothing going on.

You're not wrong. Tom Ciskowski was demoted when he told the Jones boys off during the 2013 draft.

I'm just saying if McClay believed that Watt was the better pick, then as the chief player evaluator, he should have said so. If Garrett overrode him as head coach, then I could live with that. If Jerry and/or Stpehen overrode him, then that's part of our dysfunction, but fine, they own the team. Letting the outdated and ineffective Marinelli have the loudest voice in the room was/is unacceptable.

 

[TwoCentPlain]

@basel90 I have no problems with the talent of the drafts by McClay. Gregory has the talent. Taco did decent in Miami. LVE can play. His job is to identify talent and he does it well.

 

[buybuydandavis]

I hear a lot of praise for Will McClay and his influence on jerry and stephen when it comes to draft selections . But do we actually know how effective he has been ? The latest draft picks have not been that great ( Gregory , Taco , Trysten Hill , LVE injury history etc ) ? Does he make the final decisions anyway ? Any inside knowledge or thoughts on McClay ?

I wonder how much the off the field issues are weighed by McClay vs. Joneses.

Jerry has been willing to bet on guys with medical/character issues for a long time. He likes upside, worries less about downside.

 

[buybuydandavis]

Mcclay is very good at his job. Unfortunately, judging physical attributes is easier than mental attributes.

But who made those calls on mental/medical risks?

I can see it's possible that McClay heads the football evaluations, while red flags are weighed more by Jerry.