Jerry Jones, The GM, Suddenly Has Changed?

[rcaldw]

If we won 3 super bowls, each one with a different staff, there are people on here who would find a way to spin it where they did it in spite of Garrett. Guaranteed I have learned to find enjoyment in watching the spin. Its gets funnier and funnier.

 

[jesusdlg]

Hostile....Excellent post, well thought out, and probably very time consuming, I agree with parts of it, but not all of it. I think you are trying to give too much credit to Garrett..jmo

Excellent post by Hostile

One thing I noticed its that the players really want to play for Garrett and for the Cowboys, they really want it. I truly believe that this its because the coach, it doesn't matter what kind of team sport you want to think on it, but when you (as a coach) convince your players to do what you need/want it to do, its all about coaching (of course it will help a lot if the players have the knowledge and capabilities to do so), but even when you don't have that kind of talented players (as a coach) you can convince them to do what you need/want. And again, you need to give credit to the coach for doing that, for creating that atmosphere on the team.

 

[jobberone]

Great point if you are listening in fantasy land. We were good enough to run the ball like we are now late last season. Yet, Garrett chose not to do so. The evidence is plain and simple.


So the question becomes, if this were some grand process that took this long to unfold, why did we spend good money on two poor OL in Livings and Bernadeau? Was it because we valued CBs more? What does that say about Garrett's influence about getting this "balanced and physical offense"?

At any rate, those two free agent signings were horrible attempts at doing what supposedly was the design.

And BTW, the center was supposed to be Costa, not Cook. I can find you a ton of quotes that illustrate what our GM or Owner or whatever you decide he is to make it convenient to spell out what the plan was before Frederick came aboard.



And all this says is that, over time, there was a gradual realization that we needed to take the OL seriously and in an honest fashion.

It pretty much peaked this offseason. It got better last year with Frederick and Waters, then there was still a lack of trust to run, even when it was working.

It was not some full speed ahead philosophy that just took time. If it was, it was a broken process.

I am glad the "process" is working now, but not going to pretend we meant to do this.

There is nothing wrong with taking luck and circumstance and being good with that.

The primary goal of the OL is to protect the QB. After that it has to give enough time to allow said QB to operate efficiently. Third is to run the ball. And I'm a huge proponent of running the ball.

We gave up 35 sacks last year. To date we've given up 30. And Romo was injured by failed protection.

Now I'm not saying last year's OL was as good as this one which would be insane. However, it does point out two things. This OL is only a tad bit better at protecting our QB. And being able to run effectively makes teams play you either in a balanced way or in our case creates opportunities for passing the ball which is the first key to winning games-pass and defend better than they pass and defend.

I don't see bringing in two JAGS at G as being the result of Jerry being a poor GM directly. I'm certain that wasn't their first thought on how to build the team. Most of what we see with Jerry is reaching to find the magic puzzle pieces and horrible cap management since Deion Sanders. And it's true; he's not the best talent evaluator. He's become a decent GM because he's stepped aside and let the pros work.

Nate and Bernie were always stop gap because we had no other viable choices. What we have done lately has created the best team in awhile. Whether it stays that way or not is another topic.

There is no simple scenario of Jerry the Good vs Jerry the Horrible.

 

[yimyammer]

The primary goal of the OL is to protect the QB. After that it has to give enough time to allow said QB to operate efficiently. Third is to run the ball. And I'm a huge proponent of running the ball.

We gave up 35 sacks last year. To date we've given up 30. And Romo was injured by failed protection.

Now I'm not saying last year's OL was as good as this one which would be insane. However, it does point out two things. This OL is only a tad bit better at protecting our QB. .

Wow, thats surprising considering we're running the ball so much more this year, Romo threw 535 passes last year and 401 so far this year. So that would imply the line is doing worse in pass pro, no?

 

[Hostile]

Excellent post by Hostile

One thing I noticed its that the players really want to play for Garrett and for the Cowboys, they really want it. I truly believe that this its because the coach, it doesn't matter what kind of team sport you want to think on it, but when you (as a coach) convince your players to do what you need/want it to do, its all about coaching (of course it will help a lot if the players have the knowledge and capabilities to do so), but even when you don't have that kind of talented players (as a coach) you can convince them to do what you need/want. And again, you need to give credit to the coach for doing that, for creating that atmosphere on the team.

What you noticed is the entire crux of the thread. Every coach we have had has been a good football guy, but not ever coach gets through to an entire team. For whatever reason someone want to assign to it, this year with a healthy team we are having a blast. I'm having fun. I assume you are. I assume many of the guys mad about the idea are too.

I'm merely saying Jerry has not changed. People even ratified that to some degree with the training comments, etc. If he has changed, why is he still saying things that can be taken as undermining his HC? I don't think these things undermine Garrett at all. He's focused on the players. Listen to the players, who are they crediting for this season? The answer is everyone. All coaches preach this. Garrett and his staff have an entire team doing it.

It's great. it's fun.

Isn't it?

Jerry changed? Naw, I am not buying that.

 

[jobberone]

Wow, thats surprising considering we're running the ball so much more this year, Romo threw 535 passes last year and 401 so far this year. So that would imply the line is doing worse in pass pro, no?

You really have to look at sacks, hits and pressures and not just sacks. Our adjusted sack rate is 6.4% which is middlin'. Last year was 6.2%. So about the same for that stat. Being called away. I'll try and get back to this.

 

[jobberone]

Whaaat????

Why so tiny?

Didn't show tiny on my computer. Actually slightly bigger. Not sure why that happened. I have a poltergeist.

 

[TheDude]

Didn't show tiny on my computer. Actually slightly bigger. Not sure why that happened. I have a poltergeist.

 

[jobberone]

So that's what it looks like!

 

[Hostile]

There are some aspects of this thesis I might agree with. Other parts are more of an emotional slant which paints your belief in the things you say. I do that. It is not a shot. But mingling fact with emotion muddies the waters about fact.

1. You put a great deal of work in this, and it is to be commended. But once again you lead with (1.) your victimhood at the hands of others. I see no point in this posturing. It does not lend any credence to your POV. The sweating over a keyboard while trying to bring wisdom as I suffer the slings and arrows at the hands of others might be significant in a Shakespearean play...but on a football board...

It Doth Not.

That was funny. Thank you. I really enjoyed that. I don't see it as being a victim. If you have to, be my guest. I try to share with this forum things that make you think. I hailed back to those things because there is a chance for a little more clarity possibly. I am amused by the denial of things that I think are really obvious, not victimized. Love Shakespeare, "What fools these humans be." Meaneth thou them? I do.

2. Not certain whom you are speaking about when you suggest this will be more clear. Very few of the people who post here don't understand how the hierarchy works.

I guess I think quite a few have no idea how the hierarchy works. That is my opinion, and I believe I am entitled to it and to share it.

3. This is at the crux of your commentary. Jerry has been in charge since day one. You repeat this posit over and over in your work here. But your definition of in charge is linked to the word ratify, as in (4.) Ratify is an interesting word used in this piece. it means authorize - assume or affirm.

I suggest all owners ratify the plans by their GM's in one area only. They ratify the machinations in regard to cost. The GM comes, hat in hand, and says this is what it will cost to be a winner this year. There may be several options on the table. "We can get this free agent who we consider a 1 type for X amount. Or we can get this other free agent for X amount, but he is a 2 in our eyes." Ultimately it comes down to the owner making a decision on the price tag and not the individual players as if he is part of the talent evaluation.
For the owner is the one who runs the BUSINESS end and makes certain the team's books stay in the black and not red. That is the sum total of the ratification by the owner in most franchises.

In essence, yes sir, yes sir, three bags full. I think you are exactly right about this, and it is what I am saying. These football teams are their business, their life blood, food on the table. However right you are here sir, there is one thing you appear to be denying that you should not. Owners do, at times also make personnel decisions based upon an individual. For example, Jeffrey Lurie went to his then wife to ask about the plan to sign Mike Vick. His wife. It was not left to Andy Reid's final say. It was not left to GM Tom Heckert's final say. Lurie did not even exercise the final say himself, until he has consulted with his wife.

Was that financial in nature? Yeah, I suppose any time you are taking a risk on a player whose character has been called into question you have to wonder if signing him will piss off an interest group and affect the bottom line. But I think decisions like that are more than financial. I think you would agree. You have to almost sit back and question how it will affect team image? Can that person be the catalyst? Is it worth the risk of bringing that guy into this locker room?

I personally think it has to come back to the Head Coach in those times, but sometimes, it just doesn't.

Then came Jones.

He sees himself as one of the talent evaluators. While he sometimes is out voted - Manziel - he also has made (questionably) positive decisions - Haley (positive) and T.O. (not so much) - that fly in the face of the people who actually have a work history of talent evaluation.
Forgive me, but close to twenty plus years hanging out with the Beatles didn't cause Mal Evans to write hit songs.

Jerry sits aloft like Solomon, passing his brand of judgment on all football decisions. His love of camera and microphone make it evident, especially when he uses the We phrase in what normally falls under the coach's purview.

I was told that when I say things like this I had to preface it with "This is what I believe" or "This is what I hope." I take it this advice does not apply to you though.

Would you say that what you posted above is what you believe? Would you say that others do not have to agree with what you believe? I hope so.

Well TD, surprise surprise, I don't agree with this entirely. You see, if Jerry were that guy you just described his former head coaches would ratify that theory, and they don't. I don't even like Jerry all that much. They do. Would they if he was doing what you just described? I highly doubt it.

So while technically correct that all owners have a say, there is a difference in what Jerry does, and even Snyder to a lesser degree, than all the other owners. To say Jerry is doing the same thing as all the other owners, or more precisely that they are doing what Jerry does, is a very broad brush definition. Especially when Jerry is at the spearhead of interviews and draft day war rooms, entrenching himself in all things related to the day-to-day football decisions - note I did not say financial here, because while he surely has a hand in that, his power leaks into areas other owners do not..

This I agree with 100% sir. Jerry pissed me off his first interview with the socks and jocks commentary. No doubt about it, he is the most involved owner in the NFL. I'm not saying he isn't. Never have. Never will. I even agree with you that he thinks he is a talent evaluator. Maybe he's better at it than either you or I actually know. I really do not care.

That honestly has never bothered me TD. Why? Because I do think that every decision is made based upon a consensus. No doubt, at times we see Jerry rolling the dice. Every team rolls the dice at some point. I mean, if we are being honest I think you have to admit that every team takes chances when they feel the reward is greater than the risk.

Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug.

As long as Jerry is listening to the guys who are paid talent evaluators, and there is no evidence that he doesn't, then I really don't have an issue with him believing whatever he wants. If he wants to believe he made the final call on Larry Allen in the 2nd, so be it. I think most intelligent people know he had nothing to do with finding Larry Allen, pushing Larry Allen to be our pick, or changing the minds in the room to the consensus that he was going to be our pick. Sam Garza "stood on the table" and the Dallas Cowboys braintrust, which included at that time, Larry Lacewell, and Barry Switzer, two guys whom you personally know that I have some issues with along with Jerry, made the right call. Roll the dice...seven winner.

That's football man.

Jerry is an ago-centric individual who wants credit in a realm he has always admired. I forget the exact quote, but he made a comment near the beginning of his time as the owner here that he always wanted to own a team. Not the Cowboys, but an NFL team. I think he went on further to suggest he'd give up all his success to do so.

I 100% agree with you again sir. I have no more to add.

This is about the Jerry legacy and him getting credit he thought he was due when the team won championships. No one really thought Jerry had an inkling to do with those seasons until Jimmy left. And what most sticks in his craw is the fact most people believe it was Jimmy's team that won in 1995 after Jimmy left.

For you it may be. For me it isn't. For Jerry, oh yeah, I agree with you again. He wants credit.

Have you noticed yet, that I am not giving him credit? No one else seems to be noticing it.

And here is the lynchpin of that thinking.

Why would Jerry storm off in a huff and make the comment to a reporter after being snubbed by Jimmy and his staff that "any one of five-hundred coaches could win with that team." He was probably somewhat right.

But if Jerry actually had a hand as you suggest, that phrase would have been - Any one of five-hundred coaches could have won with the team WE built. - - Or "I built."

Yet he didn't say that. In a moment of fury he was trying to diminish the actions of Jimmy Johnson. The developer, the mastermind, the builder...The Arhictect. However, as his anger bubbled over, he never gave himself credit for anything in that statement. He merely lashed out at the guy who deserved all the credit because of Jerry's jealousy at not being included in the post success toast with Cool and the Gang.

At that moment when the coaching staff snubbed him, he was the ultimate outsider, and it became clear he would never be taken seriously by real football people, or included in the accolades as a modeler of this franchise.

Once again TD. I agree with you. We're on record pace here. I agree with you yet again that Jerry's ego is huge, and has caused issues that affected this team.

While this is conjecture, one might make the argument Jerry purposely said the five-hundred coaches comment to run Jimmy off.

Yes, you could, and you know what? One could also make the argument that Jimmy flirting with the idea of coaching Jacksonville might have been done purposely to get fired. Ultimately TD I do not care who was more wrong, who was more right in the divorce of Jerry and Jimmy. As far as I am concerned, they were both wrong. Neither one put team first.

One more point here. Do you remember what Jerry did when the Switzer led team won it all? Standing on the stage, Barry held the trophy and screamed in his incoherent, maniacal way, "We did it baby. We did it our way."

What did Jerry do then?

He reached over and took the trophy from Barry Switzer and handed it to the players That said volumes about "No coach will ever be first in this franchise or the glory days as long as I have air in my lungs." The psychology behind his five-hundred coaches and his taking the trophy from Switzer set the table for all coaches after. Including Parcells.

I've told you before TD, that was one of the worst moments in my life as a Cowboys fan. Of course I remember it.

While conjecture, one might make the leap Jerry got T.O. to tweak Parcells nose enough to run him off after Parcells came and reorganized the team into something at the level of the NFL.

Yeah, but I think that's a reach. His brother's death is my conjecture.

Since the day he left, Jerry has been chasing the ghost of Jimmy Johnson. He postured himself as the titular head of this franchise and goes to any length to get the credit. His "We taught Garret how to be a head coach," says so very much about the mental aspects of Jones and this team. And is the third piece of the puzzle into the mind of Jerry and how he now connects with his head coach.

There will never be a day the head coach, or any coach or scout or front office personnel will stand between him and the credit.

And there are people lining up to give him this credit TD. Do you not see it? Did you read the article by Tim McMahon about his best job as GM? There's a thread here that inspired this thread by me. Jerry is getting that credit.

I point out once again, not by me.

Jones cannot coach a team. Period. So any teaching he did is in his mind alone. But this statement is of the same stripe as the five-hundred coaches comment. It puts the focus back on Jerry.

There are a group of people who do evaluations with this team. They all assemble their contributions for the sanctioning of the people above them.

Ultimately, and in most cases I would assume, Jerry chooses which way they will go.

Like an entire special teams draft.

The way I would put this is that Jerry asks his Head Coach what he wants, and then orders his personnel guys to give him what he wants. I believe this is why we got so many "friends of Bill" on this team when Parcells got hired. I assume you will not disagree with that.

But the psychology of those three comments/action - five hundred coaches, taking the trophy from Switzer, we taught Garret how to be a head coach - reveal the ego of Jerry, and his real intent by his being involved more than other owners.

Most of what you said above is true. But if you leave out the aspects which paint Jerry as a self-centered narcissist, bent on being the focal point of this franchise over all others, then the truth about this team is obscured.

This has been a fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable analysis TD. You have my sincere thanks for the input you put into this. I loved it.

I take it after reading this that you agree with me then that Jerry Jones..................has not changed.

That's what I said too. Thanks for backing me up. I agree with you. I think the guy is possessed of a huge ego, wants credit more than he wants to give it even though he does give it too, and I do not see anywhere in this diagnosis where you even hint that Jerry has changed, and I agree.

Peace my brother.

 

[Alexander]

The primary goal of the OL is to protect the QB. After that it has to give enough time to allow said QB to operate efficiently. Third is to run the ball. And I'm a huge proponent of running the ball.

The primary goal of the OL is to do their job.

Whether it be pass protection or blocking their man to get the back yards, that is their job.

We gave up 35 sacks last year. To date we've given up 30. And Romo was injured by failed protection.

And it is not always the OL. If you leave the RB hanging out to dry against a six man blitz, that is on the design for expecting the back to pick up that extra blitzer.

People look at pressure and solely blame the OL.

When you call plays appropriately and have the right design, you can influence the pressure.

Kind of amazing how we can run the ball today and it bleeds down to everything, even the other side of the football.

Now I'm not saying last year's OL was as good as this one which would be insane. However, it does point out two things. This OL is only a tad bit better at protecting our QB. And being able to run effectively makes teams play you either in a balanced way or in our case creates opportunities for passing the ball which is the first key to winning games-pass and defend better than they pass and defend.

I will just acknowledge you wrote this, yet dismiss it because I have no idea what you were trying to say.

I don't see bringing in two JAGS at G as being the result of Jerry being a poor GM directly.

Well, then I have no idea what to tell you.

You admit they are JAGs yet don't see how bringing them in reflects on the GM?

I'm certain that wasn't their first thought on how to build the team. Most of what we see with Jerry is reaching to find the magic puzzle pieces and horrible cap management since Deion Sanders. And it's true; he's not the best talent evaluator. He's become a decent GM because he's stepped aside and let the pros work.

Nate and Bernie were always stop gap because we had no other viable choices. What we have done lately has created the best team in awhile. Whether it stays that way or not is another topic.

There is no simple scenario of Jerry the Good vs Jerry the Horrible.

Again, you lost me.

 

[Idgit]

You're right. Let's go with what Parcells said...
“Jerry doesn’t have a football philosophy, but I like what he does. He tries to get all the information he can. He’s not a talent evaluator. Now, some days he thinks he is. Some days I think I’m an oilman, but I’m not. He’s an oilman.”

This is just a classic Parcels quote, by the way. Cracks me up.

 

[Eskimo]

You really have to look at sacks, hits and pressures and not just sacks. Our adjusted sack rate is 6.4% which is middlin'. Last year was 6.2%. So about the same for that stat. Being called away. I'll try and get back to this.

I think the sacks are a result of a few things:

1. Tyron just hasn't been as good this year.

2. The OL seemed to struggle a great deal with stunts especially on the right side until about the last 4 games or so.

3. Romo is not quite as elusive this year.

4. Romo has had many plays this year where he sits in the pocket a long time with clear throwing lanes. This doesn't get reflected in OL stats but it has allowed a huge number of big plays down the field because of the stress this puts on the opposing secondaries.

5. The OL as a whole struggled with inconsistency especially in the first half of the season.

6. When we throw this year it is under circumstances which encourage the opportunity to blitz more. We used to pass a lot more on traditional running downs where the opposition wouldn't sell out to defend the pass and blitz. This year we throw mostly in traditional passing situations which gives the DL a bit of an edge in generating pressure.

Anyhow, while I agree the metrics may not be all that different the effectiveness in pass protection especially over the last half of the season has been very good most of the time.

 

[jobberone]

The primary goal of the OL is to do their job.
Whether it be pass protection or blocking their man to get the back yards, that is their job.

Of course they need to do their job. You're not saying anything. If you don't understand the priorities then we can't have a discussion really. I suppose we could have Alexander's All Purpose Stat; he did his job. That way you get a check or no on each play. Good general all purpose stat.

And it is not always the OL. If you leave the RB hanging out to dry against a six man blitz, that is on the design for expecting the back to pick up that extra blitzer. People look at pressure and solely blame the OL.

I thought we were on one topic. You're deflecting. Of course other people have blocking responsibilities. Again you're not saying anything.

When you call plays appropriately and have the right design, you can influence the pressure.

Again wind blows and grass grows. That's got nothing to do with acquiring talent.

Kind of amazing how we can run the ball today and it bleeds down to everything, even the other side of the football.

You're deflecting again. The subject was the OL and Jerry as well as two scrubs Nate and Bernie. But I agree with you. Running the ball effectively does what I said earlier.

I will just acknowledge you wrote this, yet dismiss it because I have no idea what you were trying to say.

Well you could ask for clarification rather than being dismissive but that doesn't surprise me.

Well, then I have no idea what to tell you.

You admit they are JAGs yet don't see how bringing them in reflects on the GM?

I explained that likely wasn't their first idea of how to solve things. As I've said, when you have no room in the cap for talent acquisition you do what you can. As I pointed out last year's OL wasn't that bad in pass protection. Again it was stop gap. But since they're not starting now or either aren't on the team then I'll take your acknowledgement that Jerry did a great job this year; as did Jason.

Again, you lost me.[/quote]

It wasn't that difficult. Perhaps that is why we fail to communicate better. I'll try and simplify it more next time.

 

[jobberone]

I think the sacks are a result of a few things:

1. Tyron just hasn't been as good this year.

2. The OL seemed to struggle a great deal with stunts especially on the right side until about the last 4 games or so.

3. Romo is not quite as elusive this year.

4. Romo has had many plays this year where he sits in the pocket a long time with clear throwing lanes. This doesn't get reflected in OL stats but it has allowed a huge number of big plays down the field because of the stress this puts on the opposing secondaries.

5. The OL as a whole struggled with inconsistency especially in the first half of the season.

6. When we throw this year it is under circumstances which encourage the opportunity to blitz more. We used to pass a lot more on traditional running downs where the opposition wouldn't sell out to defend the pass and blitz. This year we throw mostly in traditional passing situations which gives the DL a bit of an edge in generating pressure.

Anyhow, while I agree the metrics may not be all that different the effectiveness in pass protection especially over the last half of the season has been very good most of the time.

I would agree with all that.

Defenses used to count on Romo having high attempts. We couldn't run effectively consistently so they cheated against the pass. This year they have to bring 8-9 in the box and we are chewing them up for being unbalanced. So we've gone from being one dimensional to them being so. And with Romo completing 70% of his passes that creates problems for the D.

 

[honyock]

Nice post Hos, you obviously put a lot of time into that. And you sure know how to raise a shi...um, to give us something to talk about while we kill time waiting for the playoffs.

I agree for the most part that Jerry hasn't changed. I do think, like has been said here a lot, that he has finally found a HC who can do the things a good head coach can do - motivate, lead, create a vision for the type of team he wants and to have his young players buy into it - AND who also has the right kind of personality and ego and patience to mesh with Jerry. I get really tired of the "we've been training him" storyline he and Stephen keep spouting. But Garrett has given every evidence that he can coexist with someone who probably will always fire his mouth off and say those kinds of things.

I've always agreed with your observation that Jerry has been willing, once he hires a HC, to try and give him what he needs in personnel terms. But that isn't an absolute. JJ may always do his GM-override of his HC from time to time. But I think that with that I'll-give-you-what-you-want style, he really needs a coach with a pretty strong vision of what he actually wants. He had that with Parcells and Jimmy, not so sure about all the others. Those two "special teams drafts", of 1995 (or was it 1994, I can't remember at the moment), and 2009 occurred with two coaches who seemed to be delighted just to be the head coach. I like Wade and I'd leap at the opportunity to go fishing with him. But I'm going to guess that the 2009 offseason (and maybe the R. Williams trade that preceded it) wouldn't have played out the same way with Garrett as HC. Or Parcells or Jimmy either, for that matter.

Garrett is the pretty much the perfect coach for Jerry, especially for something that is possibly sustainable for longer than a 4-5 year run. Given Jerry's personality and ego, he probably has a pretty narrow list of coaches who'd mesh with him like Garrett has. I've been a Garrett supporter since he was hired, although I know the reality in the NFL that process and vision only matters if it finally produces success. Thank goodness for 11-4, hope we get more.

And I do give lots of credit to Garrett for the emphasis on building the OL. It was a messy process and took some time, and there was obviously some luck and serendipity in having Smith, Fred and Martin all end up Cowboys. There is some luck involved in having something like a dominant o-line or d-line come together, including having the right players come available at the right time on draft day. It's not just about spending first round picks on the line, it's also about hitting on those picks.

 

[Alexander]

Jobber, can you be a trooper and go back and make your reply easier to read and much more to reply to?

That would be helpful.

 

[jesusdlg]

What you noticed is the entire crux of the thread. Every coach we have had has been a good football guy, but not ever coach gets through to an entire team. For whatever reason someone want to assign to it, this year with a healthy team we are having a blast. I'm having fun. I assume you are. I assume many of the guys mad about the idea are too.

I'm merely saying Jerry has not changed. People even ratified that to some degree with the training comments, etc. If he has changed, why is he still saying things that can be taken as undermining his HC? I don't think these things undermine Garrett at all. He's focused on the players. Listen to the players, who are they crediting for this season? The answer is everyone. All coaches preach this. Garrett and his staff have an entire team doing it.

It's great. it's fun.

Isn't it?

Jerry changed? Naw, I am not buying that.

Yes, its great and fun! And I Totally agree Jerry has not changed. I like it as an owner and GM.

 

[romothesavior]

There are some aspects of this thesis I might agree with. Other parts are more of an emotional slant which paints your belief in the things you say. I do that. It is not a shot. But mingling fact with emotion muddies the waters about fact.

1. You put a great deal of work in this, and it is to be commended. But once again you lead with (1.) your victimhood at the hands of others. I see no point in this posturing. It does not lend any credence to your POV. The sweating over a keyboard while trying to bring wisdom as I suffer the slings and arrows at the hands of others might be significant in a Shakespearean play...but on a football board...

It Doth Not.

2. Not certain whom you are speaking about when you suggest this will be more clear. Very few of the people who post here don't understand how the hierarchy works.

3. This is at the crux of your commentary. Jerry has been in charge since day one. You repeat this posit over and over in your work here. But your definition of in charge is linked to the word ratify, as in (4.) Ratify is an interesting word used in this piece. it means authorize - assume or affirm.

I suggest all owners ratify the plans by their GM's in one area only. They ratify the machinations in regard to cost. The GM comes, hat in hand, and says this is what it will cost to be a winner this year. There may be several options on the table. "We can get this free agent who we consider a 1 type for X amount. Or we can get this other free agent for X amount, but he is a 2 in our eyes." Ultimately it comes down to the owner making a decision on the price tag and not the individual players as if he is part of the talent evaluation.
For the owner is the one who runs the BUSINESS end and makes certain the team's books stay in the black and not red. That is the sum total of the ratification by the owner in most franchises.

Then came Jones.

He sees himself as one of the talent evaluators. While he sometimes is out voted - Manziel - he also has made (questionably) positive decisions - Haley (positive) and T.O. (not so much) - that fly in the face of the people who actually have a work history of talent evaluation.
Forgive me, but close to twenty plus years hanging out with the Beatles didn't cause Mal Evans to write hit songs.

Jerry sits aloft like Solomon, passing his brand of judgment on all football decisions. His love of camera and microphone make it evident, especially when he uses the We phrase in what normally falls under the coach's purview.

So while technically correct that all owners have a say, there is a difference in what Jerry does, and even Snyder to a lesser degree, than all the other owners. To say Jerry is doing the same thing as all the other owners, or more precisely that they are doing what Jerry does, is a very broad brush definition. Especially when Jerry is at the spearhead of interviews and draft day war rooms, entrenching himself in all things related to the day-to-day football decisions - note I did not say financial here, because while he surely has a hand in that, his power leaks into areas other owners do not..

Jerry is an ago-centric individual who wants credit in a realm he has always admired. I forget the exact quote, but he made a comment near the beginning of his time as the owner here that he always wanted to own a team. Not the Cowboys, but an NFL team. I think he went on further to suggest he'd give up all his success to do so.

This is about the Jerry legacy and him getting credit he thought he was due when the team won championships. No one really thought Jerry had an inkling to do with those seasons until Jimmy left. And what most sticks in his craw is the fact most people believe it was Jimmy's team that won in 1995 after Jimmy left.

And here is the lynchpin of that thinking.

Why would Jerry storm off in a huff and make the comment to a reporter after being snubbed by Jimmy and his staff that "any one of five-hundred coaches could win with that team." He was probably somewhat right.

But if Jerry actually had a hand as you suggest, that phrase would have been - Any one of five-hundred coaches could have won with the team WE built. - - Or "I built."

Yet he didn't say that. In a moment of fury he was trying to diminish the actions of Jimmy Johnson. The developer, the mastermind, the builder...The Arhictect. However, as his anger bubbled over, he never gave himself credit for anything in that statement. He merely lashed out at the guy who deserved all the credit because of Jerry's jealousy at not being included in the post success toast with Cool and the Gang.

At that moment when the coaching staff snubbed him, he was the ultimate outsider, and it became clear he would never be taken seriously by real football people, or included in the accolades as a modeler of this franchise.

While this is conjecture, one might make the argument Jerry purposely said the five-hundred coaches comment to run Jimmy off.

One more point here. Do you remember what Jerry did when the Switzer led team won it all? Standing on the stage, Barry held the trophy and screamed in his incoherent, maniacal way, "We did it baby. We did it our way."

What did Jerry do then?

He reached over and took the trophy from Barry Switzer and handed it to the players That said volumes about "No coach will ever be first in this franchise or the glory days as long as I have air in my lungs." The psychology behind his five-hundred coaches and his taking the trophy from Switzer set the table for all coaches after. Including Parcells.

While conjecture, one might make the leap Jerry got T.O. to tweak Parcells nose enough to run him off after Parcells came and reorganized the team into something at the level of the NFL.

Since the day he left, Jerry has been chasing the ghost of Jimmy Johnson. He postured himself as the titular head of this franchise and goes to any length to get the credit. His "We taught Garret how to be a head coach," says so very much about the mental aspects of Jones and this team. And is the third piece of the puzzle into the mind of Jerry and how he now connects with his head coach.

There will never be a day the head coach, or any coach or scout or front office personnel will stand between him and the credit.

Jones cannot coach a team. Period. So any teaching he did is in his mind alone. But this statement is of the same stripe as the five-hundred coaches comment. It puts the focus back on Jerry.

There are a group of people who do evaluations with this team. They all assemble their contributions for the sanctioning of the people above them.

Ultimately, and in most cases I would assume, Jerry chooses which way they will go.

Like an entire special teams draft.

But the psychology of those three comments/action - five hundred coaches, taking the trophy from Switzer, we taught Garret how to be a head coach - reveal the ego of Jerry, and his real intent by his being involved more than other owners.

Most of what you said above is true. But if you leave out the aspects which paint Jerry as a self-centered narcissist, bent on being the focal point of this franchise over all others, then the truth about this team is obscured.

Thank you for this post.

I thought OP's attempt to compare JJ's role to that of other owners was really off base. You put it very well.

 

[BHendri5]

Let me be up front and blunt, no he hasn't. Some will immediately see this as a defense of Jerry. It isn't.

Almost 3 years ago I posted my thread in the Football 101 series I was doing about how NFL teams, not just the Dallas Cowboys, evaluate talent that they are going to Draft, sign as Free Agents, keep, etc. It caused quite a stir for some reason. Well, with the guys who can't stand my passion for the Cowboys anyway. Some of the things I am going to say now in this thread are going to hopefully illustrate what I said then, and make it clearer how talent evaluation works.

Jerry Jones is and always has been the "Final Say" on all things personnel for the Dallas Cowboys since he took over the team in 1989. Let me make this very clear. Every owner is that. Even when Jimmy was here, Jerry had the "Final Say." What does that really mean? Basically it means that he is going to accept all blame for bad moves. On other NFL Teams where the owner is not the GM, the GM is the guy who ultimately gets blamed for the bad moves. Let me ask you a succinct question. Do you honestly think the owners did not ratify those moves? Don't kid yourselves, of course they did. So, if they had the very same "Final Say," why aren't they blamed for the moves? Actually, they are, but for hiring the GM who takes the blame for the moves. See Dan Snyder for example.

You want the honest truth of why I think Jerry does it his way? I think he can handle the heat when things go wrong, and he doesn't want it aimed at his personnel guys. Please understand something here, every NFL Team has a talent evaluation staff. It isn't one guy. People fret because Jerry Jones listens to Larry Lacewell and Barry Switzer. They are good football guys who he has a relationship with dating back to the early 1960's when he was a player at Arkansas. Jerry also listened to Al Davis. He still listens to Ron Wolf. I do not think these are bad decisions on his part. Sorry, but some of the old dogs of the NFL are smart about football. Why do you think Dick Lebeau, Tom Moore, and Mike Pope are still employed and valued coaches? Because they are good football guys. I am not a fan of Barry, but the man knows football.

Now having said that, this needs to be said, don't for one minute think that Jerry pays more attention to Larry Lacewell than he does Will McClay, or Tom Ciskowski. He doesn't okay? He listens to everyone. How that is bad I don't know. Some people like to say he listens to everyone then does whatever the last person he listened to thinks. What evidence is there to support that theory? I contend there is none.

In fact, the evidence suggests that the team consensus I put forward is the way this team goes. Otherwise you need to explain to me why Johnny Manziel is not a Dallas Cowboy.

In Dallas there has been an identifiable trail for the Talent Evaluation Department. It started with Gil Brandt. When he left with Tom Landry, Bob Ackles took over that role. Bob worked under Gil for 2 years. Larry Lacewell took over for Ackles. Lacewell did not work under Ackles. He came in 1992 at the suggestion of Jimmy Johnson, after he spent a year away from football after stepping down at Arkansas State. Next came Jeff Ireland who worked under Lacewell. Ciskowski worked under Ireland. McClay is a fast riser for us now, but he still works for Ciskowski.

The question here might be, why has Will McClay risen so fast? The answer is he and Jason Garrett think alike. Garrett absolutely relies on the man. They are the same age. I cannot make this any clearer, he still works for Ciskowski, who still works for Jones. The decisions are made by all coming to a consensus for the common good of the team.

Hopefully you're with me so far. I made the claim in that talent evaluation thread that everything revolves around what the Head Coach wants. A couple of people lost their minds over that. I thought it was really funny when I did the podcast with Ted Sundquist that he ratified my "theory." I mean, heck what would a guy who was an actual NFL GM know? Look, it was never a theory. Common sense should tell anyone that every Head Coach is different. They want to do things in different ways. Ask yourself this question. Why would any team hire a guy, and then not try to give him what he wants so he can try to succeed? Exactly, they wouldn't.

That is why I say Jerry Jones hasn't changed. He did everything he could to give Jimmy what he wanted. Same with Barry, Chan, Dave, Bill, Wade, and now Jason. With each hire the Dallas Cowboys changed focus in some way. The guys in the personnel department at Valley Ranch had to adjust to what the Head Coach wanted. For example, Parcells wanted a 3-4 Defense. He got it, and the scouting focus shifted. Now we're back to a 4-3. It has shifted again.

You know how I often say that none of Jerry's ex Head Coaches ratify the media theory that he is a meddling owner? The above is exactly why. I want you to ponder this for a minute. If you were a football coach wouldn't you want to work for a man who does everything he can to get you what you want? These guys recognize that he does this. They appreciate it, and that is why they do not bash him. Not even, the very loquacious and quotable Bill Parcells. Never one to pull punches, he doesn't ratify the theories about Jerry. Why not? Because they do not fit the truth.

So, where does that take us to for today, right now, 2014 (with 2015 coming fast) as Cowboys fans? Jerry Jones is still the Owner, President, and GM of the Dallas Cowboys. He still has the final say on all personnel decisions, just like he always has, just like every other NFL owner ultimately does. He still has a personnel department trying to do their job for the team. Whose team is it?

Financially it belongs to Jerry Jones. Philosophically this is Jason Garrett's team. It was Tom Landry's team. It was Jimmy Johnson's team. It was Barry Switzer's team. It was Chan Gailey's team. It was Dave Campo's team. It was Bill Parcells' team. It was Wade Phillips' team. It has never been Tex Schramm's team. It has never been Jerry the GM's team. Jerry the owner, yes. Not Jerry the GM.

Does he deserve blame then for the down years? The answer is yes. He was, and is, the "Final Say." Is there blame elsewhere as well? The answer is yes, and the lion's share of the blame should fall on the Head Coach, because it is his team, his vision, his focus. The Head Coach is hired by the GM, and thus the GM is also blamed. Jerry isn't Teflon here. It sticks to him.

Winning makes people see the good that you do. Losing makes them see the bad that you do. When Jerry hired Jimmy and fired Tom it was a horrible move...until Jimmy started winning. Ever since Jimmy left people have tried to invent scenarios where Jerry would step aside, park his ego and bring Jimmy and glory back. I'll say it again, hiring Jimmy was a horrible move, until his teams (emphasis on "his") started winning.

Jimmy didn't change. He did adapt. He didn't change when he went to the Dolphins either. So, why didn't he have the same magic there that he did here? Truthfully, he was married to an aging QB who was a legend in that city, and the salary cap free agency period had arrived. What he did in transforming Dallas from laughing stock to Champion could not be replicated in an NFL that had changed. If he had young building blocks to work with, and the time to see it through, I am absolutely convinced Jimmy could have had the same type of success with the Dolphins. Jimmy was not a long term kind of guy. He admits that. I will admit he was a fantastic football coach who got people to buy into his vision.

That last comment folks is the key to our current success. The team has bought in to Jason Garrett's vision. Not Jerry's vision.

I am going to say something that might be a little controversial here. Don't get so hung up on what someone does as a Head Coach at any level as the barometer to their football knowledge. Will McClay was an Arena League Head Coach for the Dallas Desperadoes. Rod Marinelli was Head Coach of the only 0-16 team in NFL History. Jason Garrett's Dad had a horrible record in college football. Do not for one minute let those things jade you about these men and their passion for football. That would be a mistake. Not everyone is a Jimmy Johnson who can have success at both levels. Bud Wilkinson was one of the greatest Head Coaches in NCAA History at Oklahoma. He did not have success with the Cardinals in the NFL. That doesn't mean he wasn't a good football man.

I do not like Dave Campo. Jimmy Johnson did. I submit to you that Jimmy Johnson knows a good football man. Dave Campo is still in coaching. He just wasn't a good Head Football Coach. I like Wade Phillips a lot. He is, in my opinion, a good football man. He is not a good Head Coach. Rod Marinelli is a good football man. Jason Garrett's dad, Jim, was a very good football man. If he wasn't, Tom Landry and Tex Schramm never would have hired him. Jimmy Johnson wouldn't have wanted him kept around. Jerry wouldn't have kept him around.

Jason's Dad is a football encyclopedia. His entire life revolves around football. He bought a house one time simply because of the yard, and how he could use it to coach his boys in football. The house itself was a disaster area that their family had to renovate. It was the yard that made it what he wanted. His sons are all about football. You know about John and Judd. Jim is a High School football coach. One of Jason's sisters is married to a former Dallas Cowboy, LB Harry Doherty, their son (Harry Jr.) was on the Practice Squad as a TE, that brother-in-law is the head of the New Jersey chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes founded by Tom Landry.

Jason Garrett's entire life is and always has been about football. You want to know what has changed for Jerry Jones, the answer is the drive of his Head Coach. Is his drive different than Wade Phillips' was? Probably not. But much like Tom Landry, Jimmy Johnson, and Bill Parcells, Jason Garrett has that inner something that draws people to him. You see it in the post game locker room celebrations. Counting coaching staff and scouts, trainers, and players, the post game locker room has about 80 people or more in it. Everyone gets dead silent when the Head Coach raises his hand to speak. Try that sometime.

Jim Garrett describes his son Jason as a football sponge. He is highly intelligent and his outlook on life touches these guys. 8-8 for three straight years sucked folks. I am not here to tell you it didn't. It did for me. I know it did for you. But when a team buys into a vision, it can change everything. It has changed the perception of Jerry Jones the GM. Yet Jerry Jones the GM himself, has not changed. He merely hired the right guy to lead the change.

Has the focus of the Dallas Cowboys changed under Jason Garrett? Look at our Offensive Line. Look at the age of our team. Look at how we operate in Free Agency. It is the same GM, so ask yourself, is the focus of a team the vision of the GM, or the vision of a Head Coach? Guys who bash Jerry the GM think it is his focus. Are they right? Of course not. I've been trying to get that message across for years now, and it has been seen as me defending Jerry. Am I? If I put the credit and blame at the feet of the Head Coach over the feet of the GM am I really defending the GM? I don't think I am, but some people can't shake that perception. Where has anyone seen me crediting Jerry for our success in 2014? That's right, nowhere, because I haven't, and I won't.

Does he deserve some? Yes, of course. He'll get it, and he'll feel vindicated to some degree, and everything will be wine and roses until this team struggles again, and they will struggle at some point folks. That is the nature of football. Will that mean he's meddling again? Of course not. He still will not have changed. Will that mean Jason Garrett has changed? No. It will mean the team makeup has, and that the chemistry isn't as strong, or the talent isn't.

I can't stress this enough. Every player in the NFL is talented. You do not get there without it. Every team in the NFL has the same goals and the same mantras. Not every team has success. Why not? Because individual players still make up the nucleus of every team. People know I dislike Terrell Owens. I do not hate him. I have never downgraded his talent level. I do not like him because he has a way of making everything about him. We win if we get him the ball, make him the focus, etc. Let me ask you this, do we win right now by relying on DeMarco Murray? My answer to that is yes. Do you think Murray would ever say that he is the reason we are winning? Of course not. Instead, he buys gifts for his O-line, praises them, and the rest of his team and coaching staff.

Why does he do that? Because he has bought in to what Jason Garrett is preaching here. They all have. Dez Bryant is supposed to be this ultimate diva WR. Do you see anyone on this team more excited by success than him? I am not talking about his success? I am talking about the team's. Watch every TD. He is there celebrating with his teammates. Watch him strut with Terrance Williams on that first TD against the Colts. Watch him come running to find Witten and Beasley on their TDs. Listen to him talk about the beast that Murray is.

This guy is supposed to be TO reborn. Instead, he is Michael Irvin reborn. Why? Quite simply because he is the right kind of guy, and all of this has been a process. In other words, the focus of the Head Coach has come to fruition, and we and the team are enjoying the fruits of that vision. It very easily could have come apart at the seams. Losing has a way of tearing at the fabric of a team, and we have been losing as much as winning the last three years. So the team got rid of the guys who focus on losing, or on themselves, and got guys who focus on sacrificing so the team will win.

Jerry has changed? No, I don't think he has. Jason Garrett has changed Wade's vision? Maybe a little bit. He certainly made a concerted effort to bring back the "Cowboy way." I'm going to be honest and tell you that I truly believe Jimmy, Barry, Chan, Dave, Bill, and Wade all preached the same concepts of process and focus. Maybe in different ways. I know Tom Landry did. I know all coaches do. They may say it differently, but it is the same thing.

What changed? The team dynamic. We got together a group of guys who truly enjoy winning, playing for each other, putting the team above self, and that my dear friends has us where we are right now, screaming at the top of our lungs, "How 'bout them Cowboys!"

That's the point I want to make most of all. This is entirely about the guys who are down there sweating, hurting, bleeding, and in some cases downright suffering to give us the kind of football we are dying to see. That is why I got so teary eyed when Bill Parcells in his HOF Speech mentioned seeing guys lying in the aisles on flights home, with IVs in their arms because they were too sore to sit in the airline seats.

You want to know why I so passionately defend our football team? Because even the 5-11 Dave Campo teams sacrificed to try their best to give us this kind of team to root for. I know that. I think deep down we all do. No athlete enjoys losing. But a team full of talented individuals will often lose to a lesser talented, more united team. They are all talented. Every single player. Are they united?

I don't care if they are. I know we are. That is why I have been saying for the last 3 years to listen to the players. This success had to come. You don't get that many people on the same page without it coming. The players echoing Jason Garrett has always been a very positive sign. Yes, things have changed. But please give the credit to the players and coaches who are united. Give credit to the scouts and front office, and yes even Jerry. But the change we all needed was in the chemistry and make up of this team.

Now, we just need for them to get it in their DNA like Landry's teams did, like Belichick's teams do. I submit to you we are closer to that than we have been since the day Jimmy and Jerry let egos get in the way. I think we were on the right track to that until Bill Parcells' brother died and he lost his fire. I do not see the fire going out in Dallas any time soon. It has always been here, but it has at times been focused wrong, too injured to do anything about it, or simply out manned.

Here's to those days being gone. Merry Christmas Cowboys fans.

I made the claim in that talent evaluation thread that everything revolves around what the Head Coach wants. I have been telling people this every since JG took over, and that it was the same for all of the HCs preceding JG.
Excellent post, I do disagree with you on Parcells had us going in the right direction. I did not know about his brother, but I do agree that he had lost all of his fire, as I believe all the elder coaches do after they reach the pinnacle, one or more times.

I do honestly believe Parcells went by the way that Landry, Knoll, and Shula, they did not adapt to the change that came along in the NFL during their respective times. Parcells felt that he could still coach guys the way he coached his players in new York and New england. Never liked Parcells, he was a great coach during his heydey but when he reached Dallas it was past his time and all he had was his cantankerous quotes for the media, and the players (most) did not respond the way he would have liked to his coaching style.