RKG Definition

[Risen Star]

"Anyone we decide to bring in"

Nailed it.

There is no definition. It's a hollow title used to justify any personnel decision. It means nothing, and frankly...with the results on the field, I wouldn't mind adding some wrong kind of guys.

 

[Hostile]

I'll simply say this, some people wrongly think it means Boy Scout. It doesn't. It's about people who love the game and dedicate to it.

 

[Risen Star]

Who cares? Can he play football or not? I'm not asking for a role model for my children or a leader for my church youth group. We want football players. If they can help the team I'm all for them. This RKG stuff is stupid.

Great post.

 

[Hostile]

How does anybody still not get this?

Willfully.

 

[Tawney88]

I'll simply say this, some people wrongly think it means Boy Scout. It doesn't. It's about people who love the game and dedicate to it.

That's all well and good. I am sure Garrett believes that guys like Matt Johnson love the game and are dedicated. But the guy hasn't helped us win a game. I have no time for players with those qualities if they can't help us win. It does us no good.

 

[jday]

Nailed it.

There is no definition. It's a hollow title used to justify any personnel decision. It means nothing, and frankly...with the results on the field, I wouldn't mind adding some wrong kind of guys.

Let me just point out that not one coach, dc.com writer, or top brass has said that McClain is RKG material. I haven't really even seen any optimist on this blog trying to tout him as an RKG. The idea behind this move is to find out if he can be that...if he can't, they simply release him and lose nothing for their trouble. Given the loss of Sean Lee, this was a darn-near necessary chance they had to take. Obviously, McClain has his work cut out both mentally and physically to make the final 53, but this very well could be his last chance at having a productive career in the NFL.

As far as there being no definition to RKG, I disagree. Perhaps people has defined it differently, but at the end of the day it boils down to a few things, none of which includes boyscout, choirboy, or country club member. It simply means you have a passion for the sport you play, you have a willingness to put in the work both on and off the field to be your best come gameday, and that for the betterment of the team, you support your fellow teammates in that ambition.

As far as McClain is concerned, he has alot to prove...but I wouldn't say he's a lost cause; especially if he can return to that player he was coming out of college. With the right coaching, the right team atmosphere, and the right support system, he could turn out to be a great addition to this team. But it is all up to him to prove he can be that. As I said before in this thread, he's not a guy that's going to top "most likely to succeed" list; he is clearly a longshot. But if he does turn out to be a solid contributor for 50% of the defensive snaps in this next regular season, he more than warrants a 6th round pick.

 

[jday]

That's all well and good. I am sure Garrett believes that guys like Matt Johnson love the game and are dedicated. But the guy hasn't helped us win a game. I have no time for players with those qualities if they can't help us win. It does us no good.

The nature of the NFL is that sometimes you have to have patience with guy's like Matt Johnson. This ain't Madden. How many times have the Cowboys been destroyed by bloggers and mediots alike for giving up too soon on players and said player going on to be productive elsewhere? The coaches clearly have seen something in Matt that we haven't seen. I, too, am ready to move on. But, at the end of the day, it's not my job on the line, if I'm wrong about him...

 

[Idgit]

Willfully.

Seriously. There's only ever been one clear definition. People keep misunderstanding it, second guessing what the team does because they misunderstand it, and then conclude the definition has changed.

No matter how many times it's explicitly quoted, it just gets ignored. And then we Groundhog Day this stupid topic another time.

 

[jday]

Seriously. There's only ever been one clear definition. People keep misunderstanding it, second guessing what the team does because they misunderstand it, and then conclude the definition has changed.

No matter how many times it's explicitly quoted, it just gets ignored. And then we Groundhog Day this stupid topic another time.

It's cold out there...

 

[Nation]

Hard working, mentally tough, driven, loves football. You don't have to be up for the Walter Payton award every year to be what they consider the right kind of guy.

 

[visionary]

How does anybody still not get this?

Cliches like "process" "stacking good days" etc etc

Josh Brent
Rolondo McClain
And on and on

8-8
8-8
8-8

How does anybody not get it?

 

[visionary]

Hard working, mentally tough, driven, loves football. You don't have to be up for the Walter Payton award every year to be what they consider the right kind of guy.

Can you point me to a HC in the NFL who says he wants lazy, mentally weak guys who don't like football ?

Garrett says it and suddenly it is like it is a revelation

Laughable

 

[Idgit]

Cliches like "process" "stacking good days" etc etc

Josh Brent
Rolondo McClain
And on and on

8-8
8-8
8-8

How does anybody not get it?

Because nothing you say here is remotely relevant to the topic at hand and only reinforces my original post?

 

[Toruk_Makto]

Sometimes when you lose something you realize how much it actually means to you.

How are we to say that McClain didn't (re)discover his love football? Happened to Cole.

 

[Hostile]

That's all well and good. I am sure Garrett believes that guys like Matt Johnson love the game and are dedicated. But the guy hasn't helped us win a game. I have no time for players with those qualities if they can't help us win. It does us no good.

I can field a football team full of people that fans had no time for and were wrong about.

 

[Toruk_Makto]

Nailed it.

There is no definition. It's a hollow title used to justify any personnel decision. It means nothing, and frankly...with the results on the field, I wouldn't mind adding some wrong kind of guys.

Not sure how anyone can look at this team....how it competes...then remember the Wade Era and think that there isn't a pattern in what this front office has focused on.

I also like how everyone seems to know exactly what kind of conversations McClain has had with the team and management. Or how they feel about his heart. Or how this deal even happened. You guys are talking in absolutes about a situation in which you literally know next to nothing.

This is what we call silliness.

 

[jday]

Hard working, mentally tough, driven, loves football. You don't have to be up for the Walter Payton award every year to be what they consider the right kind of guy.

Not sure how anyone can look at this team....how it competes...then remember the Wade Era and think that there isn't a pattern in what this front office has focused on.

I also like how everyone seems to know exactly what kind of conversations McClain has had with the team and management. Or how they feel about his heart. Or how this deal even happened. You guys are talking in absolutes about a situation in which you literally know next to nothing.

This is what we call silliness.

Unfortunately, some people have adopted a simplistic view of the issues that have plagued the Cowboys over the years. They refuse to accept injuries, the cap situation, the negative impact Wade's leadership had as an excuse for what has happened to date with this team. It's easier to simply point a finger at the usual suspects: Jerry Jones/Jason Garrett/Tony Romo. Granted, all three share in the blame - but many of their mistakes are the result of other mistakes. For instance, Jerry has been known to pay aging veteran players for what they have done and not what they are going to do. This has contributed to poor play towards the end of the season and having injured players, not to mention the cap implications. As a result of the cap issue, Jason has had to take chances with guys with a history of injury, because the alternative is players who either don't fit the scheme or simply cannot play - if there wasn't a cap issue, he might actually be able to afford to bring in guys without so many red flags. As a result of not have top tier quality players to work with, often times Tony Romo is forced into situations where he feels like he has to win the game by himself, which typically leads to poor decisions that lead to interceptions. Factor in a big dose of bad luck the last two years in term of injuries and you get what we have seen - a mediocre mess.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

It was reported when McClay got the promotion that he would be more tolerant of borderline character players but would be less tolerant of injury risk players.

Also, now that Garrett has had years to purge the non-RKGs and build a roster full of RKGs, it's much easier to add an occasional character risk player.

When Garrett inherited a roster with a horrible locker-room mentality, he had to over-focus on adding RKGs and purging the over-entitled, under-disciplined over paid underachievers that were the definition of the Wade Phillips era.

I am glad that the old dline is now gone. Spears always seemed envious concerned with what the other guy got or was doing; he always struck me as one who would point the finger in the locker room at anyone but himself. Hatcher did as well and was markedly selfish. We know what happened with Ratliff and his betrayal.

 

[Bullflop]

A departure of this team from Garrett's philosophy certainly appears to be the case with regards to the McClay acquisition. The term RKG has been defined innumerable times by JG as someone who has a passion for football and reflects it in his actions. It appears that either Jerry, Will McClay or perhaps both got together to make this trade a reality. Apparently, their concept of what comprises an RKG differs significantly from the concept of "passion for the sport" put forth by Jason Garrett.

There's no doubt that the contract, itself, is rock solid in its nature, with easy-outs easily identifiable in its overall makeup. The RKG factor has obviously been amended however, when it comes to accepting someone who has been prone to abandoning his teams while professing to be deeply depressed by his lack of passion for the sport.

One thing that makes the whole affair so incomprehensible is that McClain is known to be a film junkie who spends many hours studying film and has been known to be one who has been a team leader. Pretty crazy, huh? Whatever was truly at the root of the problem, let's hope this unpredictable but obviously talented player finds a home within the confines of Valley Ranch and his newfound Cowboys' organization. Let's also hope the elusive passion returns.

 

[DanteEXT]

A departure of this team from Garrett's philosophy certainly appears to be the case with regards to the McClay acquisition. The term RKG has been defined innumerable times by JG as someone who has a passion for football and reflects it in his actions. It appears that either Jerry, Will McClay or perhaps both got together to make this trade a reality. Apparently, their concept of what comprises an RKG differs significantly from the concept of "passion for the sport" put forth by Jason Garrett.

There's no doubt that the contract, itself, is rock solid in its nature, with easy-outs easily identifiable in its overall makeup. The RKG factor has obviously been amended however, when it comes to accepting someone who has been prone to abandoning his teams while professing to be deeply depressed by his lack of passion for the sport.

One thing that makes the whole affair so incomprehensible is that McClain is known to be a film junkie who spends many hours studying film and has been known to be one who has been a team leader. Pretty crazy, huh? Whatever was truly at the root of the problem, let's hope this unpredictable but obviously talented player finds a home within the confines of Valley Ranch and his newfound Cowboys' organization. Let's also hope the elusive passion returns.

I don't see how it's a departure. You take a guy who supposedly once had that "passion for football", who admitted he hit a rough spot after he was drafted (article on ESPN about it all), and now after time away his agent says "He sounds as excited about football as I've ever heard him". Now if he comes in sucks, plays like he doesn't care, clashes with everyone, etc AND they still keep him on the 53 then yeah, maybe you can call it a departure. Until then, it's no more a departure than the Beasley situation a couple years ago.