Mike McCarthy was clearly lying about his plan for Cowboys offense

Fans of the NFL have a propensity to take everything a coach or high-ranking executive says during the dog days of the offseason to heart. Dallas Cowboys fans are no exception. Look no further than Jerry Jones revealing at the owner’s meeting that he wants Terence Steele to be the team’s swing tackle.

At the Combine, Mike McCarthy discussed at length reclaiming play-calling duties from the dismissed Kellen Moore. While McCarthy praised Moore’s desire to be the No. 1 scoring offense in the league, the head coach communicated he was willing to trade points on the scoreboard for fewer turnovers.

But there was one line in particular that set Cowboys Nation off.

"“I’ve been where Kellen has been,” McCarthy said. “Kellen wants to light the scoreboard up. But I want to run the damn ball so I can rest my defense. Think when you’re a coordinator, you know but you’re in charge of the offense. Being a head coach and being a play-caller, you’re a little more in tune.“I don’t desire to be the No. 1 offense in the league. I want to be the No. 1 team in the league with the number of wins and the championship. And if we gotta give up some production and take care of the ball better to get that, then that’s what we’ll do.”"

“Run the damn ball” is a maddening quote, but the Cowboys’ pre-draft activity suggests McCarthy lied about wanting to do so.

Cowboys meeting with top WRs shows Mike McCarthy wants to take offense to another level.

The Cowboys could be sending a smokescreen to the NFL by meeting with several of this year’s top receivers. What good would that do, though? It’s clear they’re kicking the tires on taking a wideout early, potentially with the No. 26 overall pick.

Boston College’s Zay Flowers, TCU’s Quentin Johnston, and Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt are all regarded as first-round picks. Hyatt could slip to the second round, but his top-end speed and ability to track deep balls and take the top off of defenses could see him taken before pick 26.

Before McCarthy was hired by Dallas, his offense’s often boasted three our four legitimate receivers.

The Packers were famous for their WR depth. In the early 2010s, they rolled out Randall Cobb, James Jones, Jordy Nelson and Greg Jennings. Even Donald Driver had a run with those teams at the end of his career. In the mid 2010s, Green Bay had Cobb and Nelson paired with a young Davante Adams.

Is McCarthy looking to replicate a similar approach in Dallas? A simple reading of the tea leaves and connecting of the dots suggests he is.

Though CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks and Michael Gallup form a top-10 trio, the options behind them leave something to be desired, and it’s no sure thing Gallup rediscovers his pre-ACL form or Jalen Tolbert is ready to contribute.

Adding one of Flowers, Hyatt or Johnston — or even Josh Downs or Tank Dell on Day 2 or 3 — would give McCarthy a top-five receiver room in the NFL and one comparable to his best Packers teams.

Regardless of what the Cowboys do come draft time, this isn’t the activity of a team whose head coach wants to “run the damn ball.”

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