By David Helman
FOX Sports activities Dallas Cowboys Author
OXNARD, Calif. — Jerry Jones has been studying the headlines, it appears.
It is going to by no means come as a shock that the Dallas Cowboys' larger-than-life proprietor and basic supervisor has one thing to say.
However Tuesday morning, as his crew kicked off one other coaching camp in Southern California, Jones had a laundry listing of issues to handle, specifically a few of the most important storylines which have dogged the Cowboys via a forgettable offseason.
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"I have not talked to y'all in a very long time — I've obtained some stuff saved up right here," Jones quipped.
Chief amongst these issues was the standing of head coach Mike McCarthy. Heading into 12 months 3 of his tenure and after a disappointing exit from final yr's playoffs, hypothesis has swirled round McCarthy all offseason that he is likely to be teaching for his job in 2022.
The subject clearly struck a nerve with Jones, who spent the primary jiffy of this introductory press convention backing his coach's job safety.
"I wish to be actual clear: He would not be sitting right here right now if I did not assume he was the person to steer this crew to a Tremendous Bowl — he wouldn't be," Jones mentioned. "And I've selections."
That final bit is the explanation we obtained right here within the first place. McCarthy's standing was referred to as into query approach again in January when Jones, nonetheless seething from a wild-card loss to San Francisco, declined to touch upon the way forward for his teaching employees. He would later go on to make clear that his lack of transparency was a gambit to assist retain the surfaces of Dan Quinn as defensive coordinator.
It is a aim Jones managed to perform, although not with out placing McCarthy's future — to not point out Quinn's — into the information cycle. And that every one occurred earlier than Sean Payton's retirement from the New Orleans Saints, thereby making certain the longtime coach's identify might be perpetually linked to his former employers in Dallas.
Evidently, Jones has observed.
"You guys write about a whole lot of these selections, they usually have been there for me to make use of had I needed," he mentioned. "And, no, the man to my proper is the man I am convicted about. (I) have been."
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Because the drawing energy of the Cowboys has taught us earlier than, that does not essentially imply the speak will go away. On the very least, it may be a welcome sentiment for the pinnacle coach.
"It is an enormous problem to be a Dallas Cowboy," McCarthy mentioned. "I feel now, being extra in tune with that, my every day focus is what impacts successful, and that is actually the place I put my vitality and time into it. We perceive narratives, that is a part of the job and that is about so far as it goes with me."
McCarthy joked Tuesday morning that the introductory press convention was Jones' time to shine. He wasn't fallacious.
With the teaching hypothesis addressed, Jones additionally made certain to the touch on the Cowboys' personnel losses this offseason.
Typical knowledge locations Dallas' roster a rung beneath final season's squad, largely because of the lack of three longtime starters in Amari Cooper, La'el Collins and Randy Gregory. And whereas Jones did not utter any of these three names, it was clear who he was speaking about when he mentioned his crew had good causes for letting these veterans go away.
"Extra necessary than something, these choices that we made — I made — relative to high gamers not being right here had all the pieces to do with their availability and my concern about their availability," he mentioned.
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Level taken. Collins missed the whole 2020 season with a hip damage and was additionally suspended for 5 weeks final season, whereas Gregory's historical past of NFL suspensions has compelled him to overlook dozens of video games through the years.
Cooper solely missed two video games throughout his time with the Cowboys, however that absence was a results of contracting COVID-19 final fall — a incontrovertible fact that clearly aggravated crew executives, as Cooper was unvaccinated.
"These gamers have been within the high 10 of our gamers that take advantage of cash," Jones mentioned. "If you get in that spot, I can let you know your requirements go up. Your bar is increased. Your conduct is increased. Your consideration to the crew is increased — not simply your individual efficiency however all the pieces."
Of their place, the Cowboys have elevated a protracted listing of promising however unproven gamers.
Chief working officer Stephen Jones listed off names akin to CeeDee Lamb, in addition to rookies Tyler Smith and Sam Williams when speaking about methods they may see their roster enhance.
Not executed talking his thoughts, Jerry Jones mentioned his crew is best positioned than it was final summer time, forward of a run to a 12-5 document and an NFC East title.
"I feel we're in higher form right now to make a run at it than after we have been sitting right here presently final yr," he mentioned.
Clearly, the Cowboys are bored with studying different folks’s narratives. Now, it’s time to see whether or not theirs can stick.
David Helman covers the Dallas Cowboys for FOX Sports activities, offering every day perception and evaluation on the NFL’s most seen franchise. Previous to becoming a member of FOX, David spent 9 seasons overlaying the Cowboys for the crew’s official web site, DallasCowboys.com. In 2018, he received a regional Emmy for his position in producing "Dak Prescott: A Household Reunion" in regards to the quarterback’s time at Mississippi State.
