Dallas Cowboys: Is it time for Jerry Jones to give up general manager title?

Will Jerry Jones give up the general manager title in order for the Dallas Cowboys to gain an advantage over their opponents?

Ever since he purchased the Dallas Cowboys, Owner and General Manager have been titles Jerry Jones has proudly worn. You can’t blame the man for wanting credit for what he’s built. But has the time come for Jones to pass the title for a competitive advantage?

According to Jim Trotter of NFL.com, NFL owners are expected to vote Tuesday on the very sensitive topic of the lack of diversity hires in the league. Some of the proposed topics are hard to fathom but the NFL clearly wants a diverse workforce.

One of the proposed rules told to NFL.com by multiple sources would give clubs that hire a minority coach a six-spot jump in the third round of the draft.

For example, if Dallas had hired a minority candidate over head coach Mike McCarthy this offseason, and if the team possessed the 82nd pick in the third round, that pick would move up to 76th overall going into his second season, in the 2021 NFL Draft.

If a team hires a general manager that is a minority, the alleged proposed rule would then have that team jump 10 spots in the third round of the draft. Again, in his second year with the team. The benefits would carry into both the head coach and general manager’s third seasons as well, allowing fourth-round picks to climb five spots.

The proposed resolution to incentivize minority hiring brings me to a man that has essentially been doing GM duties for quite some time now in Dallas. A man that has been steadily rising in the ranks for this franchise since 2002.

Vice President of Player Personnel Will McClay is a name that might not sound familiar to some but is a very well respected front office and player evaluator. McClay might not get the credit for some of the previous drafts but has advised the Jones family, specifically general manager Jerry Jones, on not only who to draft but what free agents to go after since 2014.

Some of those draft picks have started with right guard Zack Martin and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence to the highly productive 2016 draft class of running back Ezekiel Elliott, linebacker Jaylon Smith,  and quarterback Dak Prescott. Not to mention this astonishing class value McClay helped to hauled in this past month. Will McClay has arguably done a better job with player acquisitions than anyone else in the entire league.

The thing about McClay is that this hard-working gentleman and film junkie is an adaptive person. As a former scout, he takes the scheme and how the coaches want to employ it, finds the best person he can within the financial restraints imposed on him, and delivers them to the Dallas Cowboys every year.

McClay has had the opportunity to interview for a general manager position in the past but has declined. Jerry Jones surely values McClay’s contributions, having been with the organization for nearly 20 years.

For the Jones family, it seems loyalty is the main reason McClay has decided not to depart for the job title he has rightfully earned. Instead, being a part of something great is apparently a motivator for him choosing to stay in Dallas.

Now, if the proposed resolution is passed, it appears the Dallas Cowboys might have the opportunity to advance their draft position by simply handing Will McClay the title many believe he rightfully deserves. I believe the only thing standing in the way is pride.

Would Jerry Jones give up the title of general manager in order to gain an advantage in the draft? Would Jones risk losing the best talent adviser in the entire league over pride? My gut says no, but miracles do happen.