When is it okay for a player to openly be critical of how a team is run?

[StarOfGlory]

ModEdit: https://www.nfl.com/news/eagles-bra...e-right-coaches-in-the-right-position-in-2023

I saw Brandon Graham in an interview talk about last years Eagle defense and literally say that "we didn't have all the right coaches in the right position...you just noticed little stuff that the players weren't on the same page with the coaches..."

Now I know if a Cowboy player said this, the board would explode. Or would it? How much good will with an organization does a player have to have to be able to openly be critical of the team? Brandon Graham has been with the Eagles for his entire career (15 years) and will retire an Eagle as the all-time leader in games played. He is highly respected around the league. He has certainly built up enough what I call "NFL capital" to speak his mind. Hurts recently was roasted in the Philly Media for not voicing enough support for Siranni. No one said a word about Graham.

So I ask, what Cowboy on the current roster can say what Graham said and get away with it in both the Media and message boards?

 

[MountaineerCowboy]

I’d love to see it more often.

If more players would be open about it then maybe some people would only be around a year instead of a decade.

But we won’t see that in Dallas. The players have it made and they won’t do anything that could possibly affect their comfort level.

 

[jazzcat22]

Micah will have some comment comparing MZ defenses to DQ defense at some point. Now will it be good vs. evil type of comment. Or just a general statement that fans turn into an evil comment. Since many seem not to like him.

I am sure there will be some general statements as to the differences.

But at this point it may be what is needed. Maybe someone like DLaw needs to step up and say it. Since he will be gone before too long anyway.
Make a statement about needing to be more active with top players in FA.

 

[DallasEast]

Well. The players should not stop at just coaches if they are being openly critical. In Dallas, they can take pot shots openly at fellow teammates and the front office as well.

There is an inherent danger for uncheck criticism to seep into any organization. Internal dissention is commonly a main byproduct for doing so.

That said, the wheel has been broken in Dallas for decades. An overhaul in overall, consistent, year-to-year, attitude has been long overdue from top to bottom. How such criticism can be realistically delivered and prompt actual positive change within an organization like Dallas is a profound question.

 

[MyFairLady]

If you played in the Green Bay game you have no right to say anything. Start with yourself otherwise it is just pathetic whining.

 

[jazzcat22]

Well. The players should not stop at just coaches if they are being openly critical. In Dallas, they can take pot shots openly at fellow teammates and the front office as well.

There is an inherent danger for uncheck criticism to seep into any organization. Internal dissention is commonly a main byproduct for doing so.

That said, the wheel has been broken in Dallas for decades. An overhaul in overall, consistent, year-to-year, attitude has been long overdue from top to bottom. How such criticism be realistic delivered and prompt actual positive change within an organization like Dallas is a profound question.

Maybe Jerry and son do not know how to change a flat tire.
Trying to still make his wagon roll with a square wheel.

 

[McKDaddy]

If enough so called "leaders" would have spoken up over the years it might not have gotten to this point. Most just want to get paid and don't really care about being champions. That's the real reason most have no interest in speaking up.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

It's not for every player.......if you are going to call out teammates, coaches or management, tact and timing are everything. Players have high tolerance levels ( I would too making millions) and don't like pushing the envelope......understandably so. What if you thought someone should call out your boss or company/employer for the way things are run? There is nothing wrong with it per se but it's how you approach it ........piss off or suggest ways of improvement.

 

[Montanalo]

It's all in the delivery. There is a vast difference between whining and someone articulating a clear, well defined position.

I think the behaviors of the FO and coaches, to some degree, set the tone for public criticism. If they are openly critical of players, the players may respond in kind.

I have to admit, I have always been more favorably disposed to a player, coach or front office person stating, "... we tend to address these issues in-house, rather than in a public forum"

 

[DAL1180]

ModEdit: https://www.nfl.com/news/eagles-bra...e-right-coaches-in-the-right-position-in-2023

I saw Brandon Graham in an interview talk about last years Eagle defense and literally say that "we didn't have all the right coaches in the right position...you just noticed little stuff that the players weren't on the same page with the coaches..."

Now I know if a Cowboy player said this, the board would explode. Or would it? How much good will with an organization does a player have to have to be able to openly be critical of the team? Brandon Graham has been with the Eagles for his entire career (15 years) and will retire an Eagle as the all-time leader in games played. He is highly respected around the league. He has certainly built up enough what I call "NFL capital" to speak his mind. Hurts recently was roasted in the Philly Media for not voicing enough support for Siranni. No one said a word about Graham.

So I ask, what Cowboy on the current roster can say what Graham said and get away with it in both the Media and message boards?

Yes they should. Just as ownership should be able to publicly call out individual players for decisions that they make or declining play.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

It's all in the delivery. There is a vast difference between whining and someone articulating a clear, well defined positionimg

100%.....timing and respect are critical for an effective delivery, some have a gift for it and some don't.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

ModEdit: https://www.nfl.com/news/eagles-bra...e-right-coaches-in-the-right-position-in-2023

I saw Brandon Graham in an interview talk about last years Eagle defense and literally say that "we didn't have all the right coaches in the right position...you just noticed little stuff that the players weren't on the same page with the coaches..."

Now I know if a Cowboy player said this, the board would explode. Or would it? How much good will with an organization does a player have to have to be able to openly be critical of the team? Brandon Graham has been with the Eagles for his entire career (15 years) and will retire an Eagle as the all-time leader in games played. He is highly respected around the league. He has certainly built up enough what I call "NFL capital" to speak his mind. Hurts recently was roasted in the Philly Media for not voicing enough support for Siranni. No one said a word about Graham.

So I ask, what Cowboy on the current roster can say what Graham said and get away with it in both the Media and message boards?

its ok to complain, when they are ready to go to another team.

 

[DallasEast]

I believe the current collective bargaining agreement, which began in the early 1990s, is somewhat responsible for players like Brandon Graham not being more vocal in this way. The CBA instituted stability between the owners and union, while afforded players with greater income security.

Labor strife was far more common prior to this CBA. Workplace complacency has been a side effect of it as well. Sometimes, organizations (of all kinds) benefit from some cage rattling. The CBA has suppressed that individual need or urge over the past few decades.

 

[thunderpimp91]

This is a really good question that most likely doesn’t have a simple yes or no answer to it.

A couple things a player should probably keep in mind before speaking out though….

1) longevity and credibility at the nfl level. An established player like a prime Jason Witten for example could say about whatever he wanted about the organization. If mazi smith was critical though it just looks like excuses for a player who hasn’t lived up to expectations.

2) Talk to your coaches about the issues first. I think it goes over so much better if a player can phrase it as "I've discussed it with Coach X already about concerns with...." The helps show that a player has thought out the issues, is looking at solutions, and isnt just ranting to the media.

3) Avoid I/Me....When a receiver complains about not getting enough touches after a win they come across as divas. Your primary focus has to be on the team result and lower your own wants.

4) Don't let the situation become personal. If issues are that deep they need to stay out of the media....unless you're 100% ready to move on.

Good post though, it's an interesting one to think through.

 

[fivetwos]

I think Philly is at least nearly as dysfunctional as Dallas, just in a different way.

That, plus the fact that the other two teams in the division haven’t been able to get their hands on a QB is a big part of those glorious twelve win Dallas seasons, and makes the people in charge think this team is better than it is.

They needed free agent help over the last few seasons to get over the hump and couldn’t see it. That was the opportunity, but since they left the roster short during that open window we at least now have all kinds of cap space, right?

They aren’t good at this, and it’s now when it begins to get much more difficult.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

If you played in the Green Bay game you have no right to say anything. Start with yourself otherwise it is just pathetic whining.

And this is the issue….fans will take this approach and say what players have a right to do…

 

[thunderpimp91]

And this is the issue….fans will take this approach and say what players have a right to do…

Honestly I think it just depends on the player. I think Dlaw killed his credibility with the fans over his "we were tired" line after that game, but prior to that quote I think fans would have been very receptive to him being critical to either player effort, preparation for that game from the coaches, or lack of activity by the front office. He would probably have been in more hot water with Jerry than the fans imo

 

[ChronicCowboy]

The dynamics of hierarchy is what makes a fighting force effective. When you have players telling coaches they’re not doing things right, the ship is sunk.

 

[FanofJerry]

Im always skeptical of situations where there is a code of not talking. As Ive gotten older I just avoid those situations.

Someone has an ego and doesnt want their mistakes aired....or someone is profiting heavily off the code of silence.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Honestly I think it just depends on the player. I think Dlaw killed his credibility with the fans over his "we were tired" line after that game, but prior to that quote I think fans would have been very receptive to him being critical to either player effort, preparation for that game from the coaches, or lack of activity by the front office. He would probably have been in more hot water with Jerry than the fans imo

Yeah I get that. But sometimes the truth needs to be exposed even if we don’t like the messenger.