McClay: The 2023 draft class must make a year 2 jump

[Risen Star]

Cowboys VP of player personnel Will McClay when asked about needing last year’s draft class (Mazi Smith, Luke Schoonmaker, DeMarvion Overshown, Viliami Fehoko, etc.) to make a Year 2 jump:

“Those guys have to make a jump for us to succeed. They’ve been in the system for a year. Now, we’ve got a little different defensive scheme, but they’ve been around here. They’ve been a part of the process.

“When you have a good team and we’ve won 36 games in three years, we haven’t won the big one, but that’s highly productive to win that many games. To do that, you have to have a number of good players.
So when you draft players, those players don’t always immediately step in and fill that role. But when you’re drafting a player, you’re drafting them for the four to five years of their contract, and you’re trying to get a return on investment.

“We need those guys to take a jump now based on the cap and the way things are. And they just have to step up. At the end of the day, that’s exactly what it is. We’ll continue to try and fill holes and add players as we go through this process. But guys just have to step up. It’s their time now.

“We’ve lost a number of really quality vets that have been on our roster, that have been with us for a while. These young guys need to step up. There’s no other way about it.”
"

 

[MountaineerCowboy]

Or what?

 

[Kolemmitt]

Duh

 

[speedkilz88]

Whole thing is available right now at -5:00:00

 

[RS12]

How bout show up.

 

[fivetwos]

What’s sad is this is exactly what the GM ought to be saying to McClay, not something McClay is saying to the media.

 

[Zekeats]

worst draft since the special teams draft of 09.....Coulda had Ocyrus Torrence LG Smith LT Beebe C and used first round on Newton but no we really needed Shoemaker

 

[Bobhaze]

When he says “must” I assume he means if the team is take another step forward, those guys are all we have to make it happen. And because this FO handcuffed itself this off-season, McClay is correct.

 

[JBS]

“We haven’t won the big game”

My guy, we have won A big game. Forget THE big game

 

[charron]

Yea we know cause if they don't make a jump it's a colossal failure. This is what happens when you draft projects high in the draft.

 

[Blue&Silver]

We're going to have to dig deep into the book of Ezekiel to find out what his visions from God are on the progress of these rookies from last year. It's good that we made him a cowboy again!

 

[Brooksey]

They will, some of them. Every team is hoping for the same thing

 

[unionjack8]

Mazi Smith is out of the league in 3 years

 

[lwehlers]

Mazi Smith is out of the league in 3 years

i would not be surprised if that come true.

 

[Havic]

Or what?

Or dak gets an extension!

 

[Gambit]

worst draft since the special teams draft of 09.....Coulda had Ocyrus Torrence LG Smith LT Beebe C and used first round on Newton but no we really needed Shoemaker

Beebe wasn't going n 2023 draft

 

[Jumbo075]

What’s sad is this is exactly what the GM ought to be saying to McClay, not something McClay is saying to the media.

McClay is the de facto GM. What is your complaint? That he doesn’t also negotiate the contracts?

 

[J817]

McClay is the de facto GM. What is your complaint? That he doesn’t also negotiate the contracts?

Yes, because the nepotism baby who does negotiate contracts is bad at it. After a playoff embarrassment we had to go through an entire offseason of nothing but drafting rookies (something all NFL teams have to do) and signing an over the hill RB and LB because daddy’s little helper doesn't know when to extend players at the right time.

 

[Aven8]

This is going to be a long season. Expecting lesser players to become good all of the sudden is silly. Having said that I blame coaching on a lot of that as well. For instance, making Mazi slim down. Turpin catches a TD against SF where he burned the DB, and we never saw that play again. Sam Williams not getting more snaps on D when it was clear he gets in the backfield. Not trying Thomas at Safety because you paid Hooker.

 

[exciter]

Or what?

Simple logic… something you wouldn’t understand!