Dallas Cowboys: Someone should lose their job for this
After an underwhelming season, someone in the Dallas Cowboys organization should lose their job for the mistakes made in 2017.
Who is to blame for the debacle that is the 2017 Dallas Cowboys? Owner and general manager Jerry Jones seems to believe NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is to blame, after allegedly being lied to about the suspension of running back Ezekiel Elliott.
Some fans believe the down season is the fault of head coach Jason Garrett and his once beloved coaching staff. That their lack of halftime and in-game adjustments are to blame. Others point to the players themselves for their failure to execute the plays, with second-year quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver Dez Bryant drawing the most ire.
But the truth is, it’s more than just one person, player, coach or executive within the Cowboys organization that deserves blame for the dysfunction in Dallas. They all share in it. But you can’t fire everyone.
We all know the Cowboys front office is ultra-conservative. Dallas refuses to make moves, outside of the occasional low-risk player, unless something is handed over to them and wrapped in a bow. And their failures both in free agency and in the draft this year have been staggering.
Dallas’ coaching staff has never been known for developing talent. And now their over-simplified and antiquated gameplans are being exposed. Without Pro Bowl-level talent in place, this group of coaches seems unable to implement the adjustments required to make things work. Instead, they seem more than satisfied to Band-Aid their current plans until their All-Pro player returns.
Everyone gripes about Jerry Jones and his son, Stephen, and the questionable personnel decisions they’ve made in the past. But, as they own the team, there is simply nothing that can be done about it. The Joneses can not be replaced, no matter how much you may wish it to happen. So, what’s the point of mentioning their numerous failures? The best you can hope for is that they realize changes need to be made around them.
At the end of the day, someone should lose their job over the colossal dumpster fire 2017 has become. Consider the numerous failures via free agency. Players like defensive tackle Cedric Thornton, cornerback Nolan Carroll, defensive end Damontre Moore, defensive tackle Stephen Paea and safety Robert Blanton were evaluated and signed to free agent contracts because someone believed they could each help this team. None of them are even on the roster anymore.
How about the Cowboys 2017 draft class? First round selection, defensive end Taco Charlton, and second round pick, defensive back Chidobe Awuzie, have both disappointed in their first season in Dallas. Charlton plays more like a undrafted rookie free agent. There is an argument to be made that Taco wouldn’t even be on the Cowboys’ active roster if he was selected in the seventh round rather than the first.
And the Cowboys infamous hamstring issues have returned. Awuzie is only it’s latest victim. Ironically, former wide out Miles Austin is now on the sidelines working with the Cowboys’ coaches and scouting department. Austin can tell you all about hamstring injuries.
After posting one of the best drafts in franchise history last season, the Cowboys failures with this current rookie class makes the success of 2016 appear to be nothing more than dumb luck.
Who is most responsible for these decisions? If the answer is someone with the last name “Jones”, the only recourse is to ask who is giving the decision-makers their information? Who is in charge of developing these players so when starters go down, a back-up can provide somewhat adequate play? Who is in charge of the gameplan and making those halftime and in-game adjustments? And if a player fails to execute on the field, are their suitable repercussions off of it?
The colossal failures of the Cowboys in 2017 are so numerous it’s hard to figure out where to distribute the blame. But be assured, someone should pay for these mistakes. If you are hired to do a job and it doesn’t get done, how can you expect to keep said job? Maybe it’s just easier to blame someone or something else rather than looking in the mirror. Unfortunately, whomever is let go this offseason will likely not be the person or persons you believe deserve the bulk of the blame.
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It’s clear big changes must be made in Big “D”. And probably on every level of the Dallas Cowboys’ organization. From the players to the coaches to the front office. The fact is, pointing to the successes of the recent past doesn’t excuse the failures sitting at your feet. Now, it’s the Joneses job to figure out who the latest scapegoat(s) will be. Happy hunting.