Rolando: It's official, there is an offseason arrangement

[JackOfNoTrades]

it's been speculated here by many that the Cowboys organization has some sort of "arrangement/agreement" with Rolando when it comes to the offseason. The below JJ quote pretty much confirms that for me and as a fan, I'm fine with it.

"It's fair to everybody to understand that Rolando's boys, his family lives in Alabama and he doesn't live with them. His former significant other is where they are. His offseason is spent with those boys and that's an understanding we have when he came through the door," Jones said. "He has to be there to spend time with them, and we expect him to compensate for that.”

link to article....
http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas-cowb...cowboys-have-given-rolando-mcclain-some-slack

 

[perrykemp]

The below JJ quote pretty much confirms that for me and as a fan, I'm fine with it.

Which part are you 'fine' with?

You fine with all the veterans skipping OTAs?

There are a much better players on the team who are taking time away from their families to be at OTAs... As far as I know Ro has never been All-Pro, been to a Pro-bowl, or even had a 100 tackle season in his 6 year career.

 

[speedkilz88]

Which part are you 'fine' with?

You fine with all the veterans skipping OTAs?

There are a much better players on the team who are taking time away from their families to be at OTAs... As far as I know Ro has never been All-Pro, been to a Pro-bowl, or even had a 100 tackle season in his 6 year career.

He had 97 tackles last season according to the Cowboys.

 

[perrykemp]

He had 97 tackles last season according to the Cowboys.

80 according to the NFL. I get your point however, he's been close to 100. My point is, he's really never been a special player. If he was a special LB, he might have seen a All-Pro, maybe a Probowl, or definitely a 100 tackle season. He's done none of those things despite being in the league 6 years.

He able to flash dominance here and there -- usually somewhere between 4-6 games into a season (or mid-season if he's been suspended for the first 4 games) after he shakes off the rust / fat / etc for rarely practicing or participating in training camp.

 

[lostar2009]

Which part are you 'fine' with?

You fine with all the veterans skipping OTAs?

There are a much better players on the team who are taking time away from their families to be at OTAs... As far as I know Ro has never been All-Pro, been to a Pro-bowl, or even had a 100 tackle season in his 6 year career.

Who cares... stop taking this kind of stuff so personal. If JJ and JG sign off on it years ago I'm ok with it. I use to have arrangements like this with my job. I work shorter hours for a school schedule. My boss ok it as long as all my work was done as normal.

 

[kapolani]

I'm fine with it.

Family comes first. No matter what.

If he can come in, contribute and still be better than what we have then I'm all for it.

If Lee wasn't made of glass we wouldn't have this problem.

 

[Doomsday101]

Voluntary or not this team just finished a 4-12 season I would like to think that it would have upset players to the point that they would make every effort to be here to rectify the events of last season. Must players attend? No says the NFLPA. Should player attend? You bet they should.

 

[JackOfNoTrades]

Which part are you 'fine' with?

You fine with all the veterans skipping OTAs?

There are a much better players on the team who are taking time away from their families to be at OTAs... As far as I know Ro has never been All-Pro, been to a Pro-bowl, or even had a 100 tackle season in his 6 year career.

Yep, I'm fine with Rolando missing voluntary OTAs. If JJ & Co. entered into this arrangement with him at the onset, they're getting what they expect.

He plays one of, if not THE, most physical positions in the game. Expecting he's not going to get dinged up during the season, I believe is unrealistic. I attribute the dings he's endured to the punishment his style of play and position comes with, not him missing 9 OTAs.

 

[CATCH17]

So I hope we don't have to see anymore quotes about how disappointed they are when he doesn't show up.

If you have a special arrangement then just say it. Saying your disappointed does nothing but make Rolando look bad and the team as well.

 

[DeaconMoss]

Practice?

-AI

 

[Idgit]

Who cares... stop taking this kind of stuff so personal. If JJ and JG sign off on it years ago I'm ok with it. I use to have arrangements like this with my job. I work shorter hours for a school schedule. My boss ok it as long as all my work was done as normal.

That's how I feel. They have to be judicious in making these sorts of allowances, but if it's a prior agreement and a condition of him playing in the NFL (which it probably was), it's understandable. Plus, a father wanting to spend as much time in the offseason with his kids as possible is pretty hard to get worked up about. We are still talking about voluntary activities. We'll see next week if he's here or not.

As I said in the other thread, the bigger problem I have is him showing up not in shape each season when he does report. Then he gets the soft tissue injuries and misses critical time.

 

[DoctorChicken]

I wonder how people would feel if Romo sipped voluntary workouts to spend time with his children.

 

[Idgit]

So I hope we don't have to see anymore quotes about how disappointed they are when he doesn't show up.

If you have a special arrangement then just say it. Saying your disappointed does nothing but make Rolando look bad and the team as well.

Has the team said they were disappointed? I know they did with Leary. And I know Broaddus has reported the coaches were not happy, but, Broaddus. Everything I'd heard from the team made me think this was approved/agreed to in advance even before Jerry's quotes came out.

 

[4lifecowboy]

If you know his background story you can understand his perspective on being available for his sons as much as he can. I believe that was cited as the reason he quit football in the first place, so if the Cowboys signed him knowing that then it is all good

 

[Doomsday101]

DALLAS
First day: April 18
OTA offseason workouts: May 24-26, May 31, June 1-2, June 6-8
Mandatory minicamp: June 14-16

I get the fact he wants to spend time with his kids, I commend him for that but to attend none of the OTA?

 

[4lifecowboy]

I wonder how people would feel if Romo sipped voluntary workouts to spend time with his children.

Romo sees his kids everyday, they live with him. Rolondo comes from a broken family background, hardly the same circumstances.

 

[LandryFan]

Has the team said they were disappointed? I know they did with Leary. And I know Broaddus has reported the coaches were not happy, but, Broaddus. Everything I'd heard from the team made me think this was approved/agreed to in advance even before Jerry's quotes came out.

I look at it as the team is getting about what they're paying for. Some people say he hasn't been to a pro bowl, made all-pro, etc., but JJ isn't paying a pro bowl/all-pro salary, either.
As for the agreement, I do recall reading that JG, in the first week of OTA's saying something about RM being absent to take care of family issues but expecting to see him the second week...that seems strange to me. If there's an agreement/arrangement to skip voluntary OTA's why wouldn't JG be aware of it? That kind of puzzles me.

 

[4lifecowboy]

DALLAS
First day: April 18
OTA offseason workouts: May 24-26, May 31, June 1-2, June 6-8
Mandatory minicamp: June 14-16

I get the fact he wants to spend time with his kids, I commend him for that but to attend none of the OTA?

When you only get your kids on weekends and a 1/3 of those are designated for training camp thru regular season. Those weekends that you do have tend to be more valuable. I commend his efforts and dedication to establishing a dependable relationship with his boys, especially in this day and age where far to many men neglect that responsibility.

 

[Vinnie2u]

Hell I get to work from home all the time. Some of my coworkers be hating too. Stop hating..

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

So I hope we don't have to see anymore quotes about how disappointed they are when he doesn't show up.

If you have a special arrangement then just say it. Saying your disappointed does nothing but make Rolando look bad and the team as well.

Yeah, apparently someone forgot to give Garrett the memo. You shouldn't be calling out a guy that you have an agreement with.