Is Mike McCarthy helping Cowboys get smarter at player acquisition?

Will McCarthy help the Cowboys draft smarter?

If we take McCarthy at his word, the answer to that is most assuredly yes. The Cowboys should be both more likely to draft the best player available, and less likely to miss drafting a talented player due to misguided notions of scheme-fit.

On top of all that, it looks like McCarthy is more likely to leave player evaluation up to scouting professionals like vice president of player personnel Will McClay. McCarthy was well-known for being unhappy with having no say in player acquisition with the Green Bay Packers, but it appears he’s satisfied to have a voice in the process, while respecting McClay’s judgment in Dallas.

One signpost of this delicate balance was McCarthy’s decision not to bring the coaching staff to the NFL Scouting Combine a month ago. In prior years, Jason Garrett and the coaching staff usually attended the combine, popularly known as the Underwear Olympics.

If McCarthy really does give input into priorities, while deferring to McClay and his staff about specific players, it could prove to be a real upgrade over the last few years. McClay’s judgment is well-regarded around the league, and we’ve seen him find some excellent players other teams have overlooked over the years.

Recently retired All-Pro center Travis Frederick is just one notable example. Most teams placed Fredbeard much lower on their draft boards than the Cowboys in 2013.

It remains to be seen, of course, how wisely Dallas chooses in the 2020 draft. So far, we’ve just been speculating. Nothing wrong with that. It’s all we have this time of year. (What are mock drafts if not huge, enormously entertaining piles of speculation?)

However, the signs are good. McCarthy’s input appears to have really helped Dallas improve its free-agent haul. Plus, he’s said all the right things. So as of now, the Magic 8-ball says the outlook is good.

I guess we’ll see in about a month when we finally get to the draft. What do you think? Is McCarthy’s input helping improve the Cowboys’ player acquisition process?