I would have to think that this factors somewhat into the decision:
What does this head coach actually bring to the party that is actually, measurably, making the team better?
Not your typical thread. Not bashing or praising. This curiosity is from a different angle.
If you are a current player, what is your mindset?
A. I need to do my job better. We can do this.
B. I need to do my job better. But I am unsure if I can win most of my individual battles due to coaching decisions/gameplay?
If you are a potential acquisition player, what is your mindset?
A. I am not going to dallas. Things at unstable and direction is lacking.
B. I think I can help make this work. Coach just needs players to really step in, step up and win their individual battles.
First I'd like to say- that I love posts like this. It's an interesting psychology quiz for a prospective Dallas Cowboy.
I believe the issue in Dallas isn't the Coach's "program" or the Player's "buy in" it's somewhere in between, and affected by all kinds of variables you can't put your finger on.
For instance- Dez Bryant is a player with 100% on the field accountability. And would answer A) to question 1 and B) to question 2. But he's a young player who sees the game from both a fan, AND player's perspective and IMO - and I have no proof- takes results personally- as well as the yapping of opposing corners, fans, rappers in night clubs- he's a Cowboy and his job is to defend his brethren and mentors.
But don't you think other players see Dez's reactions- ranting, walking off the field as time expires... see this from an outside perspective and say "man- that situation- with that QB, that Coach, that Owner..., as much as it might have been a lifelong dream to be a Dallas Cowboy I think maybe I should look elsewhere to play football."
As hard as it is to be a fan of the Cowboys- it must be worse to be a player involved in some of the most magnificent failures in the history of team sports.
I've always agreed with Jason's RKG approach to talent acquistion. I just don't think he's the guy to get the correct players to play like champions if he had them. I just don't think the man carries weight enough for locker-room talent to take him seriously. I've never heard any of Garrett's players say anything good about him after leaving Dallas- yet on the other hand, perhaps it was time for those players to go anyway and that's the kind of comfort those players had leaving their less-than-best on the football field.
My point is, it's going to take a guy that wanted to be a Dallas Cowboy for whatever reason- to be a Dallas Cowboy today. I think the rest will look elsewhere for a Coach or situation that helped mold them into a viable free-agent to begin with.
