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

[FanofJerry]

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.

And what if the players are right? Just keep playing Simon Says? Nah brah

 

[nightrain]

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?

We see this all happen every season. A coaching staff changes and some players criticize the previous regime and start pumping up the new.

 

[plasticman]

When a player is openly critical about how their team is run, it is because they are trying to influence a decision or decisions by their coach or team executive that they object to. They are hoping that external pressure will change that decision.

Digging deeper into the story will help determine whether this player had a fair opportunity to discuss these issues with coaches or management. Is this an issue that management refuses to discuss or has a decision been made and the player simply objects to it?

Also, is the issue related to the entire team or just this player? Is this a player that truly wishes to win and sees the decision as a detriment to the team goals or is this a player that objects to his role despite team success?

Is this in the midst of a poor season for the team or is this after the fact and complaining now will not resolve any issues?

If this is happening during a season in which the team is performing badly and if this player is refused the opportunity to discuss this with the team's management and if he is a player that truly impacts the outcome of games then I suppose it would be his only possible effective venue.

However, this would seem to be an extremely rare occurrence. I don't believe there is a team in this league that would refuse to discuss an issue with an impactful player. That player may not like the answer but he did get his opportunity.

 

[75boyz]

When he is fully prepared to be sent to another team.

 

[FanofJerry]

When he is fully prepared to be sent to another team.

Simon Says go jump off a cliff

 

[thunderpimp91]

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

You're not wrong, but as you mentioned in the previous post the messenger does matter.

Honestly I think this is a major downside of not getting more proven veterans in free agency. Most players on this roster don't know how other teams function, and those that do really don't have the leash to do it. Is Kendricks going to speak out negatively? Doubt it because he comes from Zimmer in the past. Cooks bounces around so often his voice probably doesn't carry much weight.

 

[ChronicCowboy]

And what if the players are right? Just keep playing Simon Says? Nah brah

That’s for management to determine. If management is wrong as well, we lose the war. Get in line soldier or your little kiddos will be speaking 49ers at the dinner table.

 

[FanofJerry]

That’s for management to determine. If management is wrong as well, we lose the war. Get in line soldier or your little kiddos will be speaking 49ers at the dinner table.

Not a big fan of the root word in "soldier"

 

[beware_d-ware]

Situations can be complicated, as @plasticman described very well. But in general, you praise in public and criticize in private.

 

[jujoboys]

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.

Jay Ratliff openly spoke ill of Jason Garrett when he became HC. He felt Garrett undermined Wade Phillips by not running the ball when Phillips was HC and Garrett was OC. Speaking up got Ratliff in the Cowboys' doghouse. I have a friend that played with Jay Ratliff at Auburn. Ratliff told him the defensive players at that time hated Garrett. They pretty much felt he stabbed Phillips in the back to get the HC job.

 

[leeblair]

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?

Any player SHOULD say it if it's true.

 

[McKDaddy]

Jay Ratliff openly spoke ill of Jason Garrett when he became HC. He felt Garrett undermined Wade Phillips by not running the ball when Phillips was HC and Garrett was OC. Speaking up got Ratliff in the Cowboys' doghouse. I have a friend that played with Jay Ratliff at Auburn. Ratliff told him the defensive players at that time hated Garrett. They pretty much felt he stabbed Phillips in the back to get the HC job.

As for the topic of the OP, the other defensive players should have made it known Ratliff was speaking for the group. Speaking as a group is better than speaking alone and getting hung out to dry.

Glad you posted this. It was obvious JG held the offense back until he got promoted. Afterwards he held the entire organization back due to his incompetence.

 

[Vtwin]

I would love to hear Dez Bryant's thoughts on this topic.

 

[FanofJerry]

Was Travis Kelsey out of line in the Super Bowl confronting Andy Reed? Dont distract the convo with "yeah, he shoved him"...WE KNOW THAT WAS WRONG...im asking if Kelsey confronting Reed is out of line in a Super Bowl?

What about the WR who started complaining in the Super Bowl that Mahomes was forcing stuff to Kelsey and jeopardizing the game?

 

[KJJ]

You better be a good player if you’re going to be openly critical about how the team is run or you won’t be around long.

 

[75boyz]

You better be a good player if you’re going to be openly critical about how the team is run or you won’t be around long.

Exactly this "most" of the time.

But you could be good and be let go too as a few good ex Cowboys have spoken out, only to be let go because of it.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

No earlier than Year 27 from our last Super Bowl appearance.

 

[plymkr]

I’m not a huge fan of current players criticizing the coach or team because that could lead to locker room problems. What I am a fan of, and wish this happened much more often, is the team’s legends criticizing the coaches or owner.

I would love HOFers like Aikman, Irvin, Emmitt to be more vocal about how dysfunctional the Cowboys are. Then it is said but no one current player is vilified for it.

 

[Chasing6]

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?

Zach Martin

 

[links18]

I don't know where the line is exactly, but wherever it is, this team has certainly crossed it.