Peter King Mailbag - Who has the juice in the Cowboy War Room?

[Plankton]

http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2017/06/21/nfl-relegation-mailbag-peter-king-colin-kaepernick

Peter: Great story on minority coaches and executives in the NFL. One notable Honorable Mention: Will McClay is Assistant Director of Player Personnel for the Cowboys. He is assistant only because Jerry Jones is the head dude, but McClay has the power and, as you know, runs the draft for the NFL’s marquee franchise. Best of all for Cowboys fans, he's darn good at what he does.

—Steve, Dallas

Regardless who has the personnel juice, Stephen Jones is the chief in that draft room. I included seven men who either have the title of GM or are in charge of who the team drafts or are in charge of personnel and who share being the boss in the draft room. I don’t think McClay fits that mold, at least not yet.

 

[Direwolf63]

I shutter to think of what this team would look like without Will McClay.

 

[paladin]

I shutter to think of what this team would look like without Will McClay.

Ditto.
If McClay left....
I would definitely begin hurricane preparations

 

[TheDuke]

I shutter to think of what this team would look like without Will McClay.

We would all be living 2000-2002 again

 

[Alexander]

http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2017/06/21/nfl-relegation-mailbag-peter-king-colin-kaepernick

Peter: Great story on minority coaches and executives in the NFL. One notable Honorable Mention: Will McClay is Assistant Director of Player Personnel for the Cowboys. He is assistant only because Jerry Jones is the head dude, but McClay has the power and, as you know, runs the draft for the NFL’s marquee franchise. Best of all for Cowboys fans, he's darn good at what he does.

—Steve, Dallas

Regardless who has the personnel juice, Stephen Jones is the chief in that draft room. I included seven men who either have the title of GM or are in charge of who the team drafts or are in charge of personnel and who share being the boss in the draft room. I don’t think McClay fits that mold, at least not yet.

Very confusing.

Read it right here that McClay runs the show.

 

[Alexander]

I shutter to think of what this team would look like without Will McClay.

It would look like it did under the Ciskowski era where there would be constant disconnects between the coaching staff and scouts. It got where whomever screamed loudest won and there was no integrity.

What he appears to do well is facilitate communication between the coaches and the scouts and bridges what is a real gap and has been for a while.

 

[GhostOfPelluer]

McClay is a stud so I don't want to minimize his presence. McClay's biggest victory has been instituting a process for scouting and developing the draft board that includes many people and has been quite effective. I feel that the process probably wouldn't change even if McClay were to take his talents elsewhere.

Then again, with big egos there are no promises. And we know who has the biggest ego in that building.

 

[Alexander]

McClay's biggest victory has been instituting a process for scouting and developing the draft board that includes many people and has been quite effective. I feel that the process probably wouldn't change even if McClay were to take his talents elsewhere.

So, if he exited stage left, we are back with the same coaches and scouting department that could not get on the same page until he was installed to do that. So how would things not change?

 

[Direwolf63]

So, if he exited stage left, we are back with the same coaches and scouting department that could not get on the same page until he was installed to do that. So how would things not change?

And just as important....Jerry and Stephen are still there.

 

[GhostOfPelluer]

So, if he exited stage left, we are back with the same coaches and scouting department that could not get on the same page until he was installed to do that. So how would things not change?

So in your version nobody involved with the process has learned anything the past few years?

 

[speedkilz88]

Stephen is actually the one with the Director of Player Personnel title, not Jerry.

 

[Bullflop]

I'm not especially concerned with who has what title but rather who has the knowledge to make sound talent evaluations. I'm inclined to go with McClay where that's concerned. To me, he's the one with the knowledge to influence one like Stephen who is willing to listen and act upon the information he receives. Whatever they've been doing lately has worked. I believe McClay's input is a major influence in the Cowboys drafts.

 

[Alexander]

So in your version nobody involved with the process has learned anything the past few years?

So you are saying both Joneses, the coaching/scouting staff and Garrett were consistently having basically two player drafts as recently as 2013 suddenly "learned" in a couple of years? McClay clearly adds something, even it has taken him time to get communication and organization flowing in the right direction.

 

[Alexander]

I'm not especially concerned with who has what title but rather who has the knowledge to make sound talent evaluations. I'm inclined to go with McClay where that's concerned. To me, he's the one with the knowledge to influence one like Stephen who is willing to listen and act upon the information he receives. Whatever they've been doing lately has worked and I just think McClay's input is a major factor in the Dallas drafts.

Scouts scout. Coaches coach. When it comes to the draft with the Cowboys, there have been too many times where the scouts wanted X, the coaches wanted Y and then it was up to Jerry Jones to break the stalemates. I don't think there is evidence that McClay is some sort of personnel genius with a better eye for talent than anyone else, but it is clear there is a better vision in getting coherent and unified information for the final say to be a little more focused.

 

[Bullflop]

Scouts scout. Coaches coach. When it comes to the draft with the Cowboys, there have been too many times where the scouts wanted X, the coaches wanted Y and then it was up to Jerry Jones to break the stalemates. I don't think there is evidence that McClay is some sort of personnel genius with a better eye for talent than anyone else, but it is clear there is a better vision in getting coherent and unified information for the final say to be a little more focused.

Well, that has been his mantra for some time now and I'm sure that's been one of the things he has done to implement their success. I'm thinking the cadre of scouts under him have compiled their findings and submitted them to McClay for him to pass on to the Dallas brass. Just my take. I'm admittedly not privy to the inner workings of the scouting hierarchy, however. Not too sure any of us are . . .

 

[GhostOfPelluer]

So you are saying both Joneses, the coaching/scouting staff and Garrett were consistently having basically two player drafts as recently as 2013 suddenly "learned" in a couple of years? McClay clearly adds something, even it has taken him time to get communication and organization flowing in the right direction.

I'm saying McClay opened the lines of communication between the coaches and scouts so that they were including system fit and attributes that fit the system as part of the evaluation and that isn't likely to change if/when McClay leaves.

It's pretty well known that the two sides (coaches and scouts) were often at odds before McClay. And your assumption that people don't grow professionally is asinine.

 

[DasTex]

I shutter to think of what this team would look like without Will McClay.

JFF baby!!

 

[jobberone]

They say they operate as a committee although all committees/boards have ruling power(s). I don't see it as complicated if Stephen is chairman and he relies on his delegates. This is not an all or nothing situation.

 

[Longboysfan]

And just as important....Jerry and Stephen are still there.

Stephen understands where the Cowboys were and where they are now in regards to scouting.
I doubt he goes back down the black hole the Cowboys were in from 1996 till.....

The last few years have been spectacular.

 

[Doomsday101]

I continue to see a group effort, This is just not a 1 man show. Granted any bad move and the fans can use Jerry as their whipping boy but from what I see these men work together to come up with the best players they can who fit with what Dallas wants to do.