There are definitely some moves that hindsight proves were rather unwise for the Dallas Cowboys.
Since the Dallas Cowboys embarrassing 47-9 loss versus the Detroit Lions on owner Jerry Jones’ 82nd birthday, it has been anything but happy for Jones. Dallas local media has placed the team’s owner under the microscope and has held him under extreme scrutiny for his approach to roster building. The team is 3-3 at the bye week, but looks much worse following yet another loss at home, and the team is winless at AT&T Stadium this season. On a radio appearance with 105.3 the Fan, Jones was asked a series of pointed questions regarding his lack of roster transactions heading into the season. Jones’s response to the questions was as follows:
“I will let us sit down and look at the decisions we’ve made over the last several years. OK? I’ll look at it,” Jones said in his interview with Shan Shariff, R.J. Choppy and Bobby Belt.
“Now if you think I’m interested on a damn phone call with you over the radio and sitting here and throwing all the good out with the dishwater, you’d have got to be smoking something over there this morning. I’m not… That’s not your job or I’ll get somebody else to ask these questions, men. No, no. I’m not kidding.”
Jones’ insinuation that he could threaten the jobs of the on-air talent at 105.3 the Fan is sad because he didn’t like the justified questions he was receiving. Rest assured that no matter what Jones says, he knows he’s not doing a good job. Over the last few days, his words reflect a bruised ego and some whose pride has been fractured by regret. Let’s examine five moves Jones would like a do-over on, whether his pride will allow him to admit it or not.
Not Signing his star players sooner
There’s nothing more ridiculous than Jerry Jones and his son, Stephen, delaying the contracts of their star players. The Cowboys could have signed CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott much sooner. Instead, they allowed the drama of the impending contract negotiations to loom over the franchise for months. It makes no sense because all it does is allow more time for contract figures to get leaked to the media, and it frames the players as “greedy” for asking for their market worth. Vilifying your cornerstone players when you plan to pay them anyway embarrasses the players publicly and turns some fans against them before taking another snap with the team. From a contractual standpoint, signing Lamb and Prescott sooner would have ensured that Dallas would have gotten both players under the market cost now and below for the coming years. Had Jones done this, it would have afforded the team a lower cap figure, especially with Dak Prescott, and created more cap space to make other roster transactions. Make no mistake, if Jones had gotten these deals done sooner, Jones would not have the excuse that Dallas couldn’t afford free agency or look for external help to fortify his football team.
Regarding the on-field product, anyone can see Lamb and Prescott aren’t on the same page. While it’s easy to blame one player or the other for their miscommunications that have led to turnovers, Lamb being away from the team over a large portion of the summer because of a holdout, which Jones could have prevented, plays a factor in the confusion between both players. This decision has ripple effects that could have easily been avoided.
Not drafting a running back
This topic of running back is perhaps the powder keg that has ignited Jones’ tirades with the media this week, yet he has no one to blame for this but himself. Jones opted to stand pat with the Cowboys’ stable of running backs, adding only one veteran, whom we’ll discuss shortly. Jones opted not to spend a premium draft pick on a running back, or any draft picks whatsoever on a running back, and it’s come back to bite them. This year, we’ve seen several running backs step in as rookies and contribute to their teams. To name a few: Ray Davis, Buffalo (fourth round), Bucky Irving (fourth round), Braelon Allen (fourth round), and Tyrone Tracy (fifth round). All but one (Davis) are averaging more than four yards per carry and have earned a share of their respective team’s backfield.
You could argue that Dallas passed on adding another running back in the draft because they wanted to give Deuce Vaughn another look and didn’t want to bury him on the depth chart without giving him another chance, which would make Jones look worse. Vaughn had 23 carries last year for 40 yards and not much better this season with 7 carries for 20. We can all agree that the offensive line has declined, yet the juke rate for their de facto starting running back, Rico Dowdle, could be better regardless of the blocking upfront. Dowdle is 42nd in the NFL in juke rate at 17.3%. Dowdle was the best Jones thought he could do, thinking he would be “fine,” but that’s the Cowboys making the best of a bad situation. Taking a running back in the middle rounds with many available is a move Jones should like to have back.
Passing on Derrick Henry
Think back to the spring of 2016. Suppose you were on message boards and in the comments section of posts on this website. In that case, you can recall a not-so-quiet faction of Cowboys fans that advised the Cowboys not to spend a top-five pick on a running back, Ezekiel Elliott, instead take Jalen Ramsey, and then circle back in the second round for Derrick Henry. It’s debatable whether that was the best choice then, but seeing where their careers are now makes you think. Undeniably, Henry has sustained a higher peak of his talents throughout their respective careers, looking much more explosive in comparison and still highly productive. Henry told reporters that if the Cowboys called when he was available, he was willing to listen, but alas, Jones decided he couldn’t afford Henry.
As we’ve seen other teams manage the salary cap in the NFL, that’s a lie. Any general manager who wants to make a deal bad enough can push a few dollars to make something work, especially for Henry, who signed a contract with the Baltimore Ravens for a two-year, $16M contract. Bypassing Henry for Elliott this past offseason is a blunder the Cowboys had to face first-hand when Henry ran for 151 yards and two touchdowns in Week 3 against the Cowboys. Since that performance, Henry has run for 423 yards and been named AFC offensive player of the week in Week 6.
In comparison, Elliott is easily on pace for his worst season as a professional, as he currently has 115 yards for three yards per attempt. Before Elliott was released by the Cowboys ahead of the 2023 season, it was evident he was no longer the player he once was, and the speed he flashed during his early years with the team had severely diminished. Bringing Elliott back after a year away has only shown how much further he has regressed in the time since. There is a genuine affinity for Elliott from Jones, hence why he gave him another chance. Still, if Jones had thought about the situation rationally, he wouldn’t have placed Elliott in a position that highlights his flaws in juxtaposition to his peers, especially after seeing what Henry has been able to accomplish with the Ravens.
Not resigning Stephon Gilmore
Through six games, the Cowboys’ depth at cornerback has been tested. Before the season started, the Cowboys were told that DaRon Bland, who set the record for interceptions returned for touchdowns, would start the year on injured reserve. Bland has yet to make his season debut, and as a result, the Cowboys have been living dangerously at cornerback. First, because of Bland’s injury, fifth-round rookie Caelen Carson was thrust into a starting role. However, he, too, has been injured and missed the last three games. There were questions about the cornerback depth even before all of this transpired. Going back to the preseason, the Cowboys could see that the bottom of their cornerback group would be a work in progress.
Andrew Booth was traded to Dallas in early August in exchange for Nashon Wright, and the former had a rocky preseason. Booth floundered against the New York Giants and was benched in favor of Amani Oruwariye. All of this cornerback quandary could have been alleviated if the Cowboys had made an agreement with Stephon Gilmore, who was with the team last season. Gilmore was available all summer and signed with the Minnesota Vikings for a one-year, $10 million contract, with $7 million guaranteed. Gilmore’s experience would have been vital for a team in transition with a new defensive coordinator like Mike Zimmer. You’d have to imagine the miscommunication in the secondary that cost them against Detroit is minimized by having Gilmore on the team, and he, too, would not have broken the bank.
Throwing Tyler Guyton in the deep end too soon
Although it was somewhat of a reach to take Tyler Guyton with the 29th pick of last year’s draft, no one could blame the Cowboys for taking a gamble on his upside, with his enticing size and potential. At almost 6’8” with 34-inch arms, Guyton boasts an impressive athletic profile for anyone in the NFL, let alone an offensive tackle. However, he had big shoes to fill in replacing Tyron Smith, who was a stalwart for the Cowboys’ offensive line and is likely bound for Canton. Predictably, Guyton had challenges moving from right tackle in college to left tackle in the NFL. Since Week 1, Guyton has needed some help blocking some of the elite edge rushers in the NFL, such as Myles Garrett and Cameron Jordan. In doing so, some leaks have also sprung on the other side of the pocket for players who are having trouble with pass protection, like Terence Steele. Dallas could have signed a more experienced left tackle as a bridge to aid in Guyton’s introduction to the NFL.
The plan of using Chuma Edoga initially wouldn’t have worked out since he has yet to show he can be relied upon during his time in Dallas, and even if he were healthy, it wouldn’t have been a suitable option. In their last game, Dallas might have felt the pressure of throwing out the rookie too soon, and he rode the bench while Tyler Smith started at left tackle in his stead.
Jones could have done, and still can, sign somebody with veteran experience, allow Smith to remain at guard where he is best, and give Guyton time to gather himself before resuming his starting role. David Bakhtiari, who has ties to head coach Mike McCarthy, is still available. Bakhtiari did have some injury concerns, but has started 131 games in the NFL and was a two-time First-Team All-Pro. Having someone of his caliber or any more experienced left tackle would have afforded Guyton more time to develop and been given a mentor as he learned the speed of the NFL before being thrown out into the unknown without a safety net.