The NFL world traveled to Mobile, Alabama for the Senior Bowl, one of the biggest pre-draft showcases of the offseason for upperclass collegiate players, and key Cowboys decision makers. of Dallas, owner Jerry Jones and his son and team principal Stephen Jones. are naturally part of the watching crowd.
Jerry and Stephen discussed a variety of topics on Tuesday, including the direction of their offense both schematically and from a player personnel perspective. Here’s what they said and what their comments could mean for the future of Silver and Blue:
Head coach Mike McCarthy’s West Coast offense that was used with the Green Bay Packers arrives at the Dallas Cowboys“It’s still an opportunity [Kellen Moore’s firing] for Mike [McCarthy] and us to use other skills and assets that we have as well as Mike’s background and experience in handling an offense and calling plays,” Jerry Jones said Tuesday when he was when asked about the reasoning behind Kellen Moore’s departure. [McCarthy] gets to know our staff even better [than when he was hired in 2020]he knows what they’ve done, and he can incorporate that into his offensive system he wants [use]. I’m comfortable right now [with McCarthy calling plays] because of the way it evolved. I’m more comfortable than I would have been had he called plays as soon as he arrived as head coach. I have always seen it [McCarthy] rather than as a traveling coach, but as a coach who could train the attacking side of the ball. That will, in principle, be the way he operated in Green Bay, which I’m sure he will tell you has evolved.”
“We have an exceptional Super Bowl winner in Mike who has proven himself as a point guard and as an offensive coordinator. I’m confident that Mike can do anything and everything this team needs. team, as far as the players are concerned, really follow Mike. He has a personality that gives our players the best they can be. I’m really impressed with the way Mike has coached this team and the unit that ‘he has among the players. I’m looking forward to building on that.”
The importance of defensive coordinator Dan Quinn: Jerry then explained how Dan Quinn’s success as defensive coordinator over the past two seasons gave him even more comfort in letting McCarthy call plays on offense. The 2021-2022 Cowboys defense has become one of two since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger to lead the NFL in consecutive seasons, joining the Pittsburgh Steelers’ “steel curtain” defenses of 1972 to 1974.
“Dan Quinn gives us a big advantage here because of his proven ability and the fact that we can really rely on and put a lot to what he brings to the table for the team as well as the defense,” Jones said without saying. be invited there. “For me, it’s one of the best forms in my experience that I’ve coached.”
Dan Quinn’s ability to help retain defensive free agents: “I’m very excited about this,” Jones said. “His combination of pattern, skill level there and the way he gets people to buy into what he wants them to do, that tightly knit aspect is really impressive. Frankly, I can’t wait to see when Mike gets to do the same on offense and see the more direct benefits of that.”
Expanding quarterback Dak Prescott’s footballing horizons: Jerry Jones noted a big reason for Moore’s move to McCarthy, as the team’s offensive playmaker is tied to Dak Prescott continuing to evolve as a quarterback under McCarthy’s direct tutelage.
“It’s a great way to expand Dak’s now [knowledge]let him have the ability to take directly what Mike [McCarthy] can give him as a coordinator,” Jones said. ” He [Prescott] would probably be the first to tell you that there will be nuances there that there is also new ground for him. What I mean is I think it’s just taking advantage of our situation. We happen to have two head coaches now, one of whom, of course, Mike is able to completely focus on managing the offense and the call plays. Coordinate all offensive blocks, receptions and tight ends. Mike can be right in the middle because he draws the plays and he calls them into the game. What that really does for us is maximize the capabilities of what we have in this coaching staff when you think about what we have with Dan Quinn and what we have with Mike.”
Always believe in Dak: “I’m very strong on Dak,” Jones said. “We have in my mind a unique person, a unique football player, a unique quarterback … but all of that [McCarthy as the play-caller] reflects the positive side I feel in Dak. It has everything to do with the positivity around Dak and the building around Dak. I won’t speak for him, but I don’t know anyone who looks in the mirror more than Dak and corrects and improves himself. He’s very open to doing better, which doesn’t necessarily mean different.”
Future contracts with Dak: I think you can watch it, absolutely,” Stephen Jones said. “Are we doing it or not? It takes two parties to talk. Dak is the key guy on this football team, first and foremost. No one respects him more than Jerry and myself. You’re going to have 12, 13, 14 quarterbacks making over $40 million watching him, and he deserves to be in that category… The biggest issue for us is that Dak will hopefully be our guy for the next ten years. I think Dak will play as long. He takes care of himself and he’s determined to be great.”
The Cowboys would like the future of Ezekiel Elliott to return next year: “As we look at the season even more, we’re going to see the positives from Zeke,” Jones said despite dropping rushing yards per game in each of Elliott’s seven seasons. Zeke will look better the more you look at what he brought to the board to learn more about the season. I don’t want to talk about Zeke until we can assess our whole season. But I know without looking at a review: Zeke was a lot more instrumental in the success we had than his rushing yards indicated. I believe that. I would like him to come back next year. “
“I think Zeke is the ultimate contender,” said Stephen Jones. “His style is different from Tony’s [Pollard], and if you’re a fan, Tony is a bit of a fan because of his juice. Ultimately, Zeke is blue collar. Its competitiveness is not something you can define with statistics. This is how we see things. Zeke has been amazing in terms of what he’s done with the Cowboys during his tenure here. It’s hard to define. You still want Zeke. The question is “Do the numbers work?” Special guy. No one respects him more than Jerry and myself. No one respects him more than this organization. Sometimes it’s a tough business, and we’re going to have to, and he knows, have to talk business.”
Managing the wide receiver position in the 2022 season“We probably relied too much on this [third round rookie Jalen] Tolbert could do it because we were high on his release and we thought he could immediately become a factor,” Jones said. “We thought we could have better results compared to [wide receiver Michael] Gallup regarding rehab and where he is. The other part, the elephant in the room, when I look at the salary that was involved in it over $20 million a year [the dumping of wide receiver Amari Cooper and his $20 million per year salary to the Cleveland Browns] and then look what we got with that salary to help this football team that we wouldn’t have been if we had kept it [Cooper’s salary]I like what we’ve done.”
What’s next for the wide receiver position: “We need Tolbert to arrive as a young player, and we have to keep looking,” Jones said. “[CeeDee] Lamb did everything and more than we hoped he would. We need guys who have a better chance of opening up. We can probably do some things in the passing game [schematically] help [Michael] Gallup is getting more involved. You can’t talk about the receiver position in isolation because the receiver released over $20 million to have the team we had.”
Chances are Odell Beckham Jr. will be a Dallas Cowboy in 2023: “I’ve gotten to know him well, but we’ll talk,” Jones said.
“Here’s the way we left it with him, ‘Get ready to play and see him again,'” Stephen Jones said. “We obviously had an interest for a reason.”
Running back Tony Pollard’s contract chances in free agency after his playoff injury: “Surgery wasn’t one of my first thoughts about the future, and I certainly see Tony [Pollard] in the future,” Jones said.
Expectations for attacking tackle Tyron Smith and his future: “Right now, yeah,” Jones said when asked if the 32-year-old eight-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle would be back on the team after battling the injury bug the past three. seasons. “With a veteran like Tyron, a veteran like [Jason] Peters and Terence [Steele]… I like the way we’re going with our offensive line that I’ve had for the past few years. “
Finally beating Tom Brady for the first time in eight tries in what looks to be his last game in the NFL: “Once after my freshman year [as owner], Jimmy Johnson and someone asked me about my freshman year, and I said Herschel Walker signed ‘that’s our win’,” Jones said as he compared the Cowboys celebrating their lone win when “They went 1-15 in 1989 to finally beat Tom Brady. “Somebody said to me, ‘I don’t know anyone more excited about a win than you.’ I’m proud of that win, I’ll hold that Tampa Bay win like I did that Herschel Walker ball when we won a game the first year, that was my prize. He [Tom Brady] was exceptional.”
What Cowboys fans can be excited about: “Emphasize that we have won 24-25 football games in the last two seasons,” Jones said. “Insist that we have been one of the best winning teams. Insist that we have had some of the best personnel in the National Football League. Insist that you have Dak [Prescott]. I like it… Focus on Dak being better at turnover. Focus on that and the fact that we have a coach who has given us the results that we have. I understand when people say the Cowboys haven’t won a Super Bowl in 25 years. There have been a lot of different things in 25 years, the same way there would have been if you had changed CEOs or owners. I have to change in my mirror. I like the incentive we have to win.”
