"Someday I will elaborate on the 20 most irritating things he has done to undermine his franchise and the most difficult part will be to stop at just 20."
Can we get a timeline on when this article will be published?
"This is the point in the piece where I should point out that I believe that Jerry Jones is generally bad at his job as the longest tenured general manager in the league. Someday I will elaborate on the 20 most irritating things he has done to undermine his franchise and the most difficult part will be to stop at just 20."
I'm really looking forward to that piece.
Make it a two-parter and up the number to 40 or 50 things.
Great article. Looking at this, and trying to be as objective as a die-hard cowboys fan can be, it is quite impressive. So many hits in late rounds and UDFA, to go with their continued 1st round success.
If only they could get more consistent with day two picks - it’s painful looking back at those 2020 and 21 draft classes (Diggs aside of course).
Excited for this season. While on the one hand I can’t help shake “dang it they did it to me again, I’m roped in once more”, I also know that the team I watched last year was good, and that game against the 49ers the D was excellent and if Pollard hadn’t gone down I think we win. And it’s hard to deny that the team this year is more talented.
Pray to the football gods that we don’t experience injuries on the o-line nor anymore at linebacker. Depth at those two spots is definitely the roster weak point.
Will be interesting to read that article on Jerry Jones and when you decide to time that. Best guess is after a bitter or disappointing end to a season. Hopefully it'll be a couple years 😁
I think the issue is that Jones creates a culture that undermines the authority of the head coach. In the recent trade for Lance, for example, he said, I believe, that he didn't even consult McCarthy before doing it. Would any other GM in the league effectively undermine his head coach like that? Can you imagine if he'd done that with Jimmy Johnson, or if Kraft did it with Belichick? Even if it's a subtle thing, it makes it seem like everyone's not quite on the same page, that there's not total organizational alignment (to paraphrase Michael Lombardi), when he's out there giving press conferences or doing trades before telling his head coach. I agree that he's improved over the David Lafleur/Shante Carver/Kavicka Pitman days regarding talent acquisition, but the overall culture is at least somewhat problematic.
I'm not suggesting that the cutlure is "toxic," but I do think that the coach should probably be the face of the organization, as he's the one who sets the culture, at least among the great ones (Landry, Lombardi, Parcells, Johnson, Belichik, Reid, et al) and that the organization should be in alignment with that culture, which from an outsider's perspective, they don't always appear to be. I might very well be wrong on that, but it's hard not to think there's some alignment issues based on Jones' actions, not only his talking to the media but even going back, when he wanted more credit for the 90s teams and wanted to do it "his way."
And regarding the Lance trade in particular, Cowlishaw brings up some good points: there probably was more alignment than appears from the outside. As I think you imply, it's lazy to simply criticize Jones for all the Cowboys' failures the past thirty years. Nonetheless, his post-Jimmy Johnson record isn't great, especially in the period between Switzer and Parcells, granted that it's really hard to win a championship and that a certain amount of fortune is involved (plus Cowboys fans have been spoiled with two Hall of Fame coaches--and their cultures!--in their first 34 years; we should try being Lions or Jets fans sometime).
I will note too that I'm heavily influenced by Michael Lombardi's takes on this stuff, given that he worked for Al Davis, Bill Walsh, and Bill Belichik, often as GM: I trust what he says given his pedigree.
I think an interesting question is why Jerry’s effect on culture doesn’t seem to harm them much in the regular season but does in the playoffs. My best theory is that the playoffs require extraordinary commitment and teamwork and that stress reveals our cultural shortcomings.
Could very well be. I feel like the culture that Johnson built, say, allowed him to push just the right buttons at the right time to get the team to respond well, like in the '93 49ers championship game with the "We will win the game" comment. Of course Johnson also was a great coach and had a great team (probably one of the all-time teams) but that toughness, both physical and mental, he instilled from day one of training camp paid dividends in the playoffs. I know Sturm mentioned the country club atmosphere around the team during the Garrett era, and assuming that's an accurate observation, I'd expect that's where we tend to fall short when it counts most.
Bob, when did you notice that Stephen began to take a larger role in the management of the Cowboys?
I think that Stephen has been able to see both Jerry’s flaws and redeeming moments and quietly course-correct behind closed doors with daddy dearest. I would think this time frame began in the mid-2010 decade and has to do with a younger generation of Cowboys fans defending Jerry.
Jerry has improved as a GM for sure. Step back and look at the bigger picture though. He drafted Ezekiel Elliott hi in the draft. Worse, he resigned Elliot to a crazy extension. He tried to negotiate in the press with Dak. Jerry’s dithering with Deck probably cost him a lot of money. I think players have learned that they can go around the coach and talk to Jerry. Jeri also likes to telegraph with the Cowboys are doing. I don’t think that helps winning. Maybe it helps at the bank. At the bank Jerry gets a A+.
Excellent points Bob! As much as we justifiably criticize Jerry, it looks like recently McCarthy has been given more control and direction for the franchise. And that is a GOOD thing.
Careful with giving McCarthy any praise. People might yell at you and say things like, "He never won anything without Aaron Rodgers!". These people are obviously football savants. That last sentence was sarcasm obviously.
I like Mac. He's not perfect but I think Dallas is in good hands. If he can get Dak over the hump, he may start being considered the kind of QB whisperer Andy Reid has become of recent. It also helps to have guys like Mahomes fall into your lap but you get the idea.
Bob, great article. Can you please write one article a day about the Cowboys? Half joking but I have learned a ton about football reading your stuff for over a decade. Thank you.
It says I can’t read the whole mailbag without subscribing but I can’t find anywhere on here that I can sign up to be a paid subscriber. What am I missing?
I kept wondering why RoJo didn’t show up on any roster cuts or on the 53 Man list. I wasn’t even thinking about the suspension kicking in this early. I had fully expected him to get cut when considering the suspension and the fact that he missed nearly all of camp with injury. I suspect he will be dropped like a hot potato once the suspension is over unless the running back room suffers a heavy dose of injuries in those first two weeks.
"Someday I will elaborate on the 20 most irritating things he has done to undermine his franchise and the most difficult part will be to stop at just 20."
Can we get a timeline on when this article will be published?
Do they put talent hawks in the HoF? Feels like Will McClay would be a shoe-in.
Good (or not) timing to answer that with Gil Brandt passing away today. He's in the HOF for scouting.
"This is the point in the piece where I should point out that I believe that Jerry Jones is generally bad at his job as the longest tenured general manager in the league. Someday I will elaborate on the 20 most irritating things he has done to undermine his franchise and the most difficult part will be to stop at just 20."
I'm really looking forward to that piece.
Make it a two-parter and up the number to 40 or 50 things.
Not enough ‘likes’. The man can make a buck better than anyone, but there is no one better at spoiling the apple cart on the field.
So glad I found this substack. Sturm is the GOAT Cowboys writer, was feeling very deprived without him at the other place.
Great article. Looking at this, and trying to be as objective as a die-hard cowboys fan can be, it is quite impressive. So many hits in late rounds and UDFA, to go with their continued 1st round success.
If only they could get more consistent with day two picks - it’s painful looking back at those 2020 and 21 draft classes (Diggs aside of course).
Excited for this season. While on the one hand I can’t help shake “dang it they did it to me again, I’m roped in once more”, I also know that the team I watched last year was good, and that game against the 49ers the D was excellent and if Pollard hadn’t gone down I think we win. And it’s hard to deny that the team this year is more talented.
Pray to the football gods that we don’t experience injuries on the o-line nor anymore at linebacker. Depth at those two spots is definitely the roster weak point.
Will be interesting to read that article on Jerry Jones and when you decide to time that. Best guess is after a bitter or disappointing end to a season. Hopefully it'll be a couple years 😁
I think the issue is that Jones creates a culture that undermines the authority of the head coach. In the recent trade for Lance, for example, he said, I believe, that he didn't even consult McCarthy before doing it. Would any other GM in the league effectively undermine his head coach like that? Can you imagine if he'd done that with Jimmy Johnson, or if Kraft did it with Belichick? Even if it's a subtle thing, it makes it seem like everyone's not quite on the same page, that there's not total organizational alignment (to paraphrase Michael Lombardi), when he's out there giving press conferences or doing trades before telling his head coach. I agree that he's improved over the David Lafleur/Shante Carver/Kavicka Pitman days regarding talent acquisition, but the overall culture is at least somewhat problematic.
I'm not suggesting that the cutlure is "toxic," but I do think that the coach should probably be the face of the organization, as he's the one who sets the culture, at least among the great ones (Landry, Lombardi, Parcells, Johnson, Belichik, Reid, et al) and that the organization should be in alignment with that culture, which from an outsider's perspective, they don't always appear to be. I might very well be wrong on that, but it's hard not to think there's some alignment issues based on Jones' actions, not only his talking to the media but even going back, when he wanted more credit for the 90s teams and wanted to do it "his way."
And regarding the Lance trade in particular, Cowlishaw brings up some good points: there probably was more alignment than appears from the outside. As I think you imply, it's lazy to simply criticize Jones for all the Cowboys' failures the past thirty years. Nonetheless, his post-Jimmy Johnson record isn't great, especially in the period between Switzer and Parcells, granted that it's really hard to win a championship and that a certain amount of fortune is involved (plus Cowboys fans have been spoiled with two Hall of Fame coaches--and their cultures!--in their first 34 years; we should try being Lions or Jets fans sometime).
I will note too that I'm heavily influenced by Michael Lombardi's takes on this stuff, given that he worked for Al Davis, Bill Walsh, and Bill Belichik, often as GM: I trust what he says given his pedigree.
I think an interesting question is why Jerry’s effect on culture doesn’t seem to harm them much in the regular season but does in the playoffs. My best theory is that the playoffs require extraordinary commitment and teamwork and that stress reveals our cultural shortcomings.
Could very well be. I feel like the culture that Johnson built, say, allowed him to push just the right buttons at the right time to get the team to respond well, like in the '93 49ers championship game with the "We will win the game" comment. Of course Johnson also was a great coach and had a great team (probably one of the all-time teams) but that toughness, both physical and mental, he instilled from day one of training camp paid dividends in the playoffs. I know Sturm mentioned the country club atmosphere around the team during the Garrett era, and assuming that's an accurate observation, I'd expect that's where we tend to fall short when it counts most.
Bob, when did you notice that Stephen began to take a larger role in the management of the Cowboys?
I think that Stephen has been able to see both Jerry’s flaws and redeeming moments and quietly course-correct behind closed doors with daddy dearest. I would think this time frame began in the mid-2010 decade and has to do with a younger generation of Cowboys fans defending Jerry.
Jerry has improved as a GM for sure. Step back and look at the bigger picture though. He drafted Ezekiel Elliott hi in the draft. Worse, he resigned Elliot to a crazy extension. He tried to negotiate in the press with Dak. Jerry’s dithering with Deck probably cost him a lot of money. I think players have learned that they can go around the coach and talk to Jerry. Jeri also likes to telegraph with the Cowboys are doing. I don’t think that helps winning. Maybe it helps at the bank. At the bank Jerry gets a A+.
Excellent points Bob! As much as we justifiably criticize Jerry, it looks like recently McCarthy has been given more control and direction for the franchise. And that is a GOOD thing.
Careful with giving McCarthy any praise. People might yell at you and say things like, "He never won anything without Aaron Rodgers!". These people are obviously football savants. That last sentence was sarcasm obviously.
I like Mac. He's not perfect but I think Dallas is in good hands. If he can get Dak over the hump, he may start being considered the kind of QB whisperer Andy Reid has become of recent. It also helps to have guys like Mahomes fall into your lap but you get the idea.
Bob, great article. Can you please write one article a day about the Cowboys? Half joking but I have learned a ton about football reading your stuff for over a decade. Thank you.
It says I can’t read the whole mailbag without subscribing but I can’t find anywhere on here that I can sign up to be a paid subscriber. What am I missing?
You need to subscribe on a web browser. Not on the app
Terrific stuff, Bob. I’m very surprised that Pittsburgh isn’t amongst the top 3-4 homegrown teams.
traditionally, they are, but not right now: https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2023/08/31/omar-khan-gm-pickett-pickens/stories/202308290129
I kept wondering why RoJo didn’t show up on any roster cuts or on the 53 Man list. I wasn’t even thinking about the suspension kicking in this early. I had fully expected him to get cut when considering the suspension and the fact that he missed nearly all of camp with injury. I suspect he will be dropped like a hot potato once the suspension is over unless the running back room suffers a heavy dose of injuries in those first two weeks.