Mediocrity vs. change

[gimmesix]

I mostly agree. However I think Jerry's motivation for hiring Parcels were as much financial as anything. The team was stuck in the midst of 5-11 seasons, and he was trying to get funding for a new stadium. He had no choice but to hire a HOF caliber HC and get out of his way..........."shopping for the groceries" was part of what parcels demanded. But, you saw how long that lasted. IMO, and I can only read between the lines, Jerry drove parcels out of Dallas with his locker room meddling and roster meddling..........Bill was an age and point of his career when he could say "F-it, I don't need this anymore" and he walked away for a position in Miami. You can't tell me that with as much talent as he left in Dallas that he didn't want to coach it and try one more time.......and Miami was a more attractive job? It just doesn't make sense. Jerry got his stadium funding and reverted back to the same guy he's been since Jimmy left town.

Parcells went to Miami to be a GM. He said that he didn't want to coach anymore because he couldn't stand losing. It just ate at him and he was at a point where he didn't want to endure it anymore. You can read more between the lines if you want, but I see no reason to doubt him. If he'd left Dallas and immediately taken another head coaching job, then I'd say there was more to it.

Again, I think fans want to blame everything on Jerry. I agree that he has gotten in the team's way and still is an obstacle, but he's become much less of an obstacle. Will McClay is the de facto GM when it comes to personnel moves. Garrett and the other coaches have their input when it comes to what players to draft and FAs to bring in. It's easy to see this in the war room. Yes, Jerry still ultimately makes the call, but it's pretty much made for him ... otherwise, we'd have Johnny Manziel here instead of Zach Martin.

Now, a real GM could certainly set the tone for the franchise, so I'm not dismissing that. The Cowboys are more GM by committee, and frankly, I think we've seen an improvement in drafting because of it. However, we haven't seen that Super Bowl success and that's both because of the GM system we've got and who we've got as coach. We can't change the GM but we certainly can change the coach.

 

[IrishAnto]

I can't say Garrett isn't the reason for the policy. It's been enacted since he's been here so I don't know his level of involvement.

I believe things did change when Parcells was here. Jerry Jones admitted that his philosophy changed because Parcells was the coach. Some will point to TO to say that it didn't, but Parcells signed off on the signing. Despite what some want to believe about Jones, he has changed over the last 22 years. Once he went all in with free agency, overpaying for players to the point that when they came here they did not leave without a contract. Now, we're at the reverse of that philosophy. The coach does make a difference in how Jones acts as the GM. Those who don't see that just want to hate Jones for everything he does.

If Jones had a strong-willed head coach like Belichick, I guarantee his philosphy would shift to what Belichick wants, just like it did with Parcells. Ireland became the de facto GM because Parcells wanted it. We shifted to the 3-4 because Parcells wanted it. We brought in FOBs because Parcells wanted it.

So what if he changes!
He's not a good enough GM in the current era to take this team to the SB and there's 22 years worth of evidance to prove that.
Even a great HC will struggle with poor FO.

 

[Diehardblues]

Parcels was different. He was rebuilding a franchise devoid of talent and with no QB. He left the team in far better position than he found it. Garret and Wade inherited loaded teams. Campo was just a bus driver. That was a bad hire made b/c Jerry does not respect the head coaching position.

I’d agree with most.

Bill did resurrect us and Wade inherited a more talented team but we failed under Wade to continue the influx of talent in Cap era which is necessary as we were discussing above.

After a a few years we were almost back to where we were except we had a QB who carried us while we tried to influx with more talent again.

And I’d argue Wade and Garrett are bus drivers too. Wade was a huge puppet. I want to believe Garrett has had more influence on Jerry but he’s a puppet too. At least we’ve had better drafts than with Wade & Campo.

The drafts under Garrett are a big part of why ive been more supportive because I think talent is best answer under our situation.

 

[atlantacowboy]

Parcells went to Miami to be a GM. He said that he didn't want to coach anymore because he couldn't stand losing. It just ate at him and he was at a point where he didn't want to endure it anymore. You can read more between the lines if you want, but I see no reason to doubt him. If he'd left Dallas and immediately taken another head coaching job, then I'd say there was more to it.

Again, I think fans want to blame everything on Jerry. I agree that he has gotten in the team's way and still is an obstacle, but he's become much less of an obstacle. Will McClay is the de facto GM when it comes to personnel moves. Garrett and the other coaches have their input when it comes to what players to draft and FAs to bring in. It's easy to see this in the war room. Yes, Jerry still ultimately makes the call, but it's pretty much made for him ... otherwise, we'd have Johnny Manziel here instead of Zach Martin.

Now, a real GM could certainly set the tone for the franchise, so I'm not dismissing that. The Cowboys are more GM by committee, and frankly, I think we've seen an improvement in drafting because of it. However, we haven't seen that Super Bowl success and that's both because of the GM system we've got and who we've got as coach. We can't change the GM but we certainly can change the coach.

I know what he said. Parcels, if you look at his history with the media, never gives the whole story and he never throws anyone under the bus. He's the guy who taught Belechek how to deal with the media.

As I said, my opinion is based on my reading between the lines not on the literal words out of Bill's mouth. I think if Bill was a younger man , he would have taken another HC job. The point is that he got out of Dallas just when things were getting good and its suspicious. Imagine him coaching the 2007 cowboys. You still think they get out coached in the divisional round playoffs? The further that team got away from Parcels coaching, the more penalties and general lack of discipline. The team slowly unraveled.

 

[IrishAnto]

No offense but this is the kind of goofy fan rhetoric that makes us all a little dumber.

We have ZERO idea if swapping out the CBs made us better or worse this year OTHER than the fact PFF Rated our kiddie DBs better than the vets we let go.

In fact it could easily be argued we should have swapped out the TE and WRs too.

Improving is never a bad idea. Getting both younger and better is nirvana.
Bill Parcells used to say each year you give the edge to the young guy. An older guy has to kick his butt to hold the job.
Carr and Mo weren't kicking butt.

Well if PFF rated them better that's all we need to know, case closed.
List all the DB's that have kicked butt over the last 10+years.
That shouldn't take too long.
All I know is after a 13-3 season we didn't make the playoffs, which coincidentally is the forth consecutive time we've done that.
Spot a pattern?

 

[IrishAnto]

The team's defensive passer rating in 2017 (94.6) was 0.4 different than it was in 2016 (94.2). The secondary change was not the reason why this team failed to make the playoffs this past season. Not even in the first five reasons.

But it was a reason.
One of many maybe but still part of the whole shambles.

 

[atlantacowboy]

I’d agree with most.

Bill did resurrect us and Wade inherited a more talented team but we failed under Wade to continue the influx of talent in Cap era which is necessary as we were discussing above.

After a a few years we were almost back to where we were except we had a QB who carried us while we tried to influx with more talent again.

And I’d argue Wade and Garrett are bus drivers too. Wade was a huge puppet. I want to believe Garrett has had more influence on Jerry but he’s a puppet too. At least we’ve had better drafts than with Wade & Campo.

The drafts under Garrett are a big part of why ive been more supportive because I think talent is best answer under our situation.

That is b/c Bill and his staff were the ones finding the talent, and they left. Just as importantly, Bill coached up guys like Flozel Adams and Greg Ellis. Neither had sniffed a pro bowl prior to parcels arrival. What player underachieved with Parcels and improved under Wade? Nobody. Not one. Thats what a really good coach does.

 

[Diehardblues]

I know what he said. Parcels, if you look at his history with the media, never gives the whole story and he never throws anyone under the bus. He's the guy who taught Belechek how to deal with the media.

As I said, my opinion is based on my reading between the lines not on the literal words out of Bill's mouth. I think if Bill was a younger man , he would have taken another HC job. The point is that he got out of Dallas just when things were getting good and its suspicious. Imagine him coaching the 2007 cowboys. You still think they get out coached in the divisional round playoffs? The further that team got away from Parcels coaching, the more penalties and general lack of discipline. The team slowly unraveled.

Parcells was our best shot to overcome. I haven’t had much hope since.

And I thought it was obvious why he left.

 

[Diehardblues]

That is b/c Bill and his staff were the ones finding the talent, and they left. Just as importantly, Bill coached up guys like Flozel Adams and Greg Ellis. Neither had sniffed a pro bowl prior to parcels arrival. What player underachieved under Parcels and improved under Wade? Nobody. Not one. Thats what a really good coach does.

2003 was one of the best coaching jobs in Cowboy history taking a 3 straight 5-11 team to the playoffs with Quincy. We knew then we had a coach . But even he struggled with Jerry’s meddling.

 

[atlantacowboy]

Parcells was our best shot to overcome. I haven’t had much hope since.

And I thought it was obvious why he left.

Apparently, not obvious to everyone. lol

 

[gimmesix]

I know what he said. Parcels, if you look at his history with the media, never gives the whole story and he never throws anyone under the bus. He's the guy who taught Belechek how to deal with the media.

As I said, my opinion is based on my reading between the lines not on the literal words out of Bill's mouth. I think if Bill was a younger man , he would have taken another HC job. The point is that he got out of Dallas just when things were getting good and its suspicious. Imagine him coaching the 2007 cowboys. You still think they get out coached in the divisional round playoffs? The further that team got away from Parcels coaching, the more penalties and general lack of discipline. The team slowly unraveled.

If he would have been a younger man, I believe he would have stayed in Dallas because he had just found his quarterback.

Here's some of what Parcells has said about Dallas. Those who want to pin everything bad that happens to Dallas on Jerry can ignore it (or distort it) if they wish.

“I liked my experience there,” Parcells says. “It didn’t turn out perfect from a record-standpoint. I understand all of that. But I learned a lot and I enjoyed working there.

“Jerry and I are pretty good friends. I don’t know whether or not people know that. We talk a little bit. I wouldn’t say frequently. We talk a little bit. We talked recently. It’s good. And I’m close with Stephen [Jones], too. I enjoyed working there with the Joneses. They were supportive and tried to help.”

While there might be a national perception that Jerry Jones calls all of the shots and doesn’t listen to those around him, especially his head coach, Parcells says in his time there, that was the furthest thing from the truth, calling it a huge misperception about the Cowboys’ owner and general manager.

“Oh yeah, definitely. I think it’s distorted,” Parcells says. “I think there’s a definite misperception. I just think everyone thinks a certain way. I didn’t see it to be that way. I think Jerry is a good businessman and a good listener. What you have to do is make sense to him. You’ve got to make sense to him. If he thinks you’re making sense, he’ll alter his opinion. I enjoyed him. I like him. I like him a lot.”

One of things for which Jones gets criticized the most is the way he apparently dabbles in the team’s football operations, although as the general manager, doing so is certainly within his job description. Jerry is a hands-on owner, but according to Parcells, that passion is what drew him to the Cowboys job in the first place.

“We had some mutual friends. I was very close with Al Davis and I know Jerry was, too,” Parcells says. “I had a little background information from Al – not about working for the Cowboys, just about what they were trying to do. I knew Jerry had a lot of passion for his work and his job and his organization. I could name a few organizations I don’t feel that about – the owner is just blasé about ‘if we win, we win, good; if we don’t, that’s all right.’

“But Jerry isn’t like that. You want to be somewhere where it’s important to the people and certainly it’s a high-profile franchise without question. I just felt like those are the kind of things I look forward to. I was trying to do something at a place like that. I like them. I think they’re a good group. I think they’re passionate. I think they’re trying to be successful in the business. Hey, that’s all a coach can ask for.”

Here's what he said about his decision to leave.

“That Seattle game … that had a real mental affect on me,” Parcells says, referring to the Cowboys’ 21-20 loss to the Seahawks in the 2006 NFC Wild Card round. “I really thought we had a chance to do something. And not only with Seattle, but Chicago the next week. I just thought we had a chance. That one beat me up a little bit.”

Not long after that game, Parcells decided to hang it up, citing a lack of desire to continue, especially with the finish in Seattle still fresh on his mind.

“I was just really upset and saddened by that last game,” Parcells says. “I just didn’t want to try to do it again. I know from coaching all these years, if you’re not mentally geared up for it – it’s hard enough to do it anyway, but if you don’t get really into it, it’s impossible. I just thought enough was enough.”

And although Parcells later returned to the NFL in a front-office role with the Dolphins, he never coached another game from the sideline.

To this day, Parcells still admits he has a few “what-if” moments about leaving the Cowboys after the 2006 season, particularly since they went 13-3 the following year under Wade Phillips.

“I’d say there were some times where I thought to myself, ‘I should’ve tried one more time,’” Parcells remembers. “With that group we had, maybe we could’ve done something more. I don’t know. But I just thought at the time it was the right decision to walk away.”

I see little reason to doubt a coach who has been pretty candid in his comments before.

 

[atlantacowboy]

If he would have been a younger man, I believe he would have stayed in Dallas because he had just found his quarterback.

Here's some of what Parcells has said about Dallas. Those who want to pin everything bad that happens to Dallas on Jerry can ignore it (or distort it) if they wish.



Here's what he said about his decision to leave.



I see little reason to doubt a coach who has been pretty candid in his comments before.

Does it really make sense to you that a guy whose been a head coach for 30+ years was really that "mentally effected" by a loss? Common! He was probably snickering as he said it. That answer was a graceful way to bow out and a complete load of garbage.

 

[Diehardblues]

If he would have been a younger man, I believe he would have stayed in Dallas because he had just found his quarterback.

Here's some of what Parcells has said about Dallas. Those who want to pin everything bad that happens to Dallas on Jerry can ignore it (or distort it) if they wish.



Here's what he said about his decision to leave.



I see little reason to doubt a coach who has been pretty candid in his comments before.

Bill also said “ you have to convince Jerry to go against his instincts”.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

I really believe when Jerry brought T.O. in, it meant the end of Parcells in Dallas.

 

[atlantacowboy]

I really believe when Jerry brought T.O. in, it meant the end of Parcells in Dallas.

Exactly right. But, b/c parcels didn't call a news conference and announce his displeasure and intention to exit soon, many don't beleive it. It makes way more sense that a wild card game loss in Seattle just so mentally effected him that he couldn't coach anymore. lol

 

[GenoT]

I really believe when Jerry brought T.O. in, it meant the end of Parcells in Dallas.

Parcells had made it known to Jerry that he didn’t want TO on his team. But Jerry being Jerry...

 

[Diehardblues]

Exactly right. But, b/c parcels didn't call a news conference and announce his displeasure and intention to exit soon, many don't beleive it. It makes way more sense that a wild card game loss in Seattle just so mentally effected him that he couldn't coach anymore. lol

Of course it was.

And it probably ended any hopes of a legit HC coming here again under Jerry’s meddling.

 

[Plankton]

Bill also said “ you have to convince Jerry to go against his instincts”.

He also said that Jerry has no football philosophy. He also said that 6 months after he leaves, you will never know that I was there.

 

[atlantacowboy]

Of course it was.

And it probably ended any hopes of a legit HC coming here again under Jerry’s meddling.

Here is what Jerry said in 2010:

"Bill's not worth a [expletive]," the video shows Jones saying. After some back-and-forth with an unidentified man off-camera, the video continues with Jones saying, " ... to get this [expletive] stadium, I needed to bring his [butt] in."


And that should cement my point on what Jerry thinks about HC's and why we are stuck with garret.

 

[gimmesix]

Does it really make sense to you that a guy whose been a head coach for 30+ years was really that "mentally effected" by a loss? Common! He was probably snickering as he said it. That answer was a graceful way to bow out and a complete load of garbage.

Some of you are just silly on your desire to blame Jerry for everything. Hey, let's not believe the man because obviously if he's saying nice things about Jerry he must be lying.