Jerry Jones: Zeke was (picked) too high for us"

[Kingofholland]

Well, I didn't think it was too high as I wanted Zeke.
Now, well, wisdom is great from a hindsight perspective. Shrug.

At the time the Romo window was narrowing, we had a hole after having 1 season of no Murray and needed an immediate impact player. Zeke was that pick and though it was high for an RB it didn't mean we picked a bad player being in win now mode. Hindsight is always 20/20 and if we could do it again yeah Ramsey in the 1st and Henry in the 2nd would have been the perfect call. But it did take Henry a couple years to get rolling and Zeke was probably the better immediate impact player. With Ramsey there's a reason he has been trades 2x in a short period of time.

 

[Adreme]

Honestly I’m still glad we didn’t take Ramsey. That guy has been a locker room disaster and is on his third team already. You look at the 2016 first round and there are tons of busts. Tunsil and Buckner were probably the best picks and both those dudes were traded.

Not really. You look at the top of the 2016 draft and there are a lot of hits. The first 7 picks of that draft, in order, were: Jared Goff, Carson Wentz, Joey Bosa, Zeke, Ramsey, Ronnie Stanley, and Deforest Buckner. All 7 made pro bowls and even though you might argue Wentz was a bust in the end he still was a key piece of getting them into position to win that Super Bowl (yes he was injured for the playoffs but he got them the 1 seed in the first place). Obviously there were some picks after that did not pan out but if all 7 of the top picks made at least a pro bowl, and outside of the QBs the other 5 all had all pro honors, its hard for me to say there were a lot of busts at the top of the draft.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

Well, I didn't think it was too high as I wanted Zeke.
Now, well, wisdom is great from a hindsight perspective. Shrug.

The pick wasnt bad. Zeke made an nfl wb and helped keep tony from getting used up in the same manner.

Now....the stupid contract? Stupid.

 

[ghst187]

Well, I didn't think it was too high as I wanted Zeke.
Now, well, wisdom is great from a hindsight perspective. Shrug.

The mistake wasn’t drafting Zeke at 4, it was resigning Him when and for how much we did.
He was near league MVP level first year or two. His play just fell off a cliff, can’t predict that.
You can argue Ramsey was a better pick but he’s also on his third team and looks like burnt toast now and frankly don’t think he would’ve equated to as many wins as Zeke directly did.

 

[The Fonz]

JJ just realizing his way is not working so it is a good step maybe too it is late but it is a start
As for Zeke is he still narrowing his choices where he wants to go?

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

The pick wasnt bad. Zeke made an nfl wb and helped keep tony from getting used up in the same manner.

Now....the stupid contract? Stupid.

This.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

The mistake wasn’t drafting Zeke at 4, it was resigning Him when and for how much we did.
He was near league MVP level first year or two. His play just fell off a cliff, can’t predict that.
You can argue Ramsey was a better pick but he’s also on his third team and looks like burnt toast now and frankly don’t think he would’ve equated to as many wins as Zeke directly did.

And this.

 

[Aerolithe_Lion]

Next 6 lineman off the board after Zeke:

Deforest Buckner - 53 sacks in 7 seasons at DT, only 2 DTs ever have 100. Strong chance of making the hall of fame if he stays healthy.

Jack Conklin - 2-time all pro RT, started every game he’s appeared in

Sheldon Rankins - Another DT, 15 game starter last year for a top 5 defense in NYJ. 73 PFF score last year, for comparison Hargrave was 78 and Osa was 63.

Laremy Tunsil - 3 time pro bowl LT, started every game he’s appeared in.

Taylor Decker - Detroit’s longtime starting LT, has appeared in and started more games than Tunsil or Conklin. Very reliable.

Ryan Kelly - 3-time pro bowl C, top 5 at his position every year since he was drafted… started as many games as Decker.



This is not to say every lineman is a home run, some are busts. But that’s much less likely that high in the draft. You’re selecting from the best of the best of the best. Rankins is probably the weakest in this list, and even then he’s giving far more value than Zeke has in years. Imagine Dallas right now with any of these players, it would be a spectacular get not only now but 5 years from now.

And this is with Zeke being considered one of the big RB hits of round 1. Lineman are just way better picks than RBs early in the draft. Better positional value, more reliable, foundations of teams. Every one of these guys (aside from maybe Rankins who’s bounced around a bit and just signed for 10m AAV this offseason with Houston) is an indispensable piece of their team’s construction. Has Zeke been that since 2019? When he should have still been on his rookie deal….

 

[links18]

Zeke is the reason we won those early years! I guess we should have passed on Dorsett and Emmitt

The "early years"? The early years for me are with Tony D. Man, I am feeling old today.

Might be that unsolicited senior discount I got today.

 

[Kumala808]

He seems to blaming everyone besides him and his office

 

[KJJ]

I've said it for many years. The Cowboys should have drafted Ramsey.

Jerry's comment makes me wonder how his line of thinking will impact what the Cowboys do at 26.

Doubt it will impact it very much if Robinson is sitting there at number 26. Everyone has him rated as a top five talent and it would be hard to pass up a top five talent at number 26. You can’t ask for a better value than that, and Jerry is all about getting great value. They’ll only pass Robinson up if Dalton Kincaid is still on the board. Had the Cowboys taken Ramsey instead of Zeke, Dak probably doesn’t have the success he had his rookie year. That could have led to him failing and we might have been spending the next few years and still spending time looking for a QB. With him being a young QB we’re lucky we had a solid RB.

 

[shabazz]

I've said it for many years. The Cowboys should have drafted Ramsey.

Jerry's comment makes me wonder how his line of thinking will impact what the Cowboys do at 26.

In a sane corporation they would learn by that mistake …….but these guys?

 

[shabazz]

Zeke is the reason we won those early years! I guess we should have passed on Dorsett and Emmitt

I agree that Zeke was a complete beast the first 3 years……I just wasn’t happy that Jerry caved in on his new contract demand after just 2 seasons but that’s business

 

[Whyjerry]

NEVER draft a RB in Round 1. Never.

 

[jazzcat22]

Sure buddy, then why did Dak get rookie of the year over Zeke?

Duh I dont know!! LOL

Now the Oline? I got no problem with that. That Oline was incredible.

So Dak and his 300 yards and 3 TD's was why we lost eh? BWAAAA!!!

Zeke 125 yards and no TD's. Thanks again for playing!!! QBR of 103 mind you.

Dont you ever get tired of being proven wrong? Must be used to it by now.

Don’t you ever get tired of being full of your self and being wrong?
duh…you don’t know is more like it. So what Dak got rookie of the year. That means nothing. The media always side with the QBs over any other position rather deserved or not.

that proves nothing. Zeke still made that team go taking pressure off of Dak. Admit that you are wrong…you know you are.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Don’t you ever get tired of being full of your self and being wrong?
duh…you don’t know is more like it. So what Dak got rookie of the year. That means nothing. The media always side with the QBs over any other position rather deserved or not.

that proves nothing. Zeke still made that team go taking pressure off of Dak. Admit that you are wrong…you know you are.

BWAAAAA!!!! So winning rookie of the year means nothing? Sure buddy.

So what have I been wrong about? Waiting....................NOTHING!! LOL

That Oline made the team go. Sure having a great running game takes the pressure of a QB. And no doubt that Oline made Zeke go. Any number of backs could run behind that line and have success.

When I start getting things wrong, then you can talk. But at this point I own you and its not even close.

 

[Kingofholland]

Once again Jerry's comments taken out of context. And depending ones agenda and narratives will come into play.

It was the right decision at the time. As Tony needed a RB, not a CB.

If Ramsey was picked, he would have pulled the same crap he did in Jacksonville and would want out. Or, he would have done the same thing and want a HUGE contract. Jerry would have overpaid or trade him for a 5th round pick. The same fans that wanted him then, and now would be complaining and hate on the guy.

If I had my way that draft, what I really wanted was a QB in the 1st round, RB, such as Henry in the 2nd round. Regardless of how much I wanted them to take Zeke, that was what I preferred, QB then RB. If not a QB, then RB over CB.

Instead we are still stuck with a certain QB and no RB.

Yeah I didn't have an issue with the selection they needed an impact player that could be plug and play. When you say you wanted a QB which one did you want Wentz, Goff, or Lynch. I guess it worked out the Cowboys got the best QB in that draft class anyway and either the best or 2nd best RB.

 

[tomokawan]

Did they resign Barbie to the highest LB deal in NFL history? Its the combo of the blunder that makes it one of the worst. And to pass on Ramsey a premium position all pro.

Moving the goal post? You said one of the worst drafted players in Cowboy history. That has nothing to do with the resigning argument.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

The mistake wasn’t drafting Zeke at 4, it was resigning Him when and for how much we did.
He was near league MVP level first year or two. His play just fell off a cliff, can’t predict that.
You can argue Ramsey was a better pick but he’s also on his third team and looks like burnt toast now and frankly don’t think he would’ve equated to as many wins as Zeke directly did.

I predicted after his first season and 300+ carries that if they kept on using him as such he would break down. I did predict it.

 

[GMO415]

It made since with an aging Romo. If they had know Dak was the starter, sure it was waaay too high.