Just when you thought you couldn’t hate Jerry Jones and the Cowboys’ front office any more than you already do…
Back in the 2016 NFL Draft, Jones Inc. decided to take Ezekiel Elliott with the fourth overall pick in the first round. Then in the second round, with the 34th pick, they took Jaylon Smith.
Two notable players that were on the board at the time of each pick?
Jalen Ramsey – who went to the Jaguars with the fifth overall pick – and Derrick Henry – who went to the Titans with the 45th overall pick in the next round.
Elliott rushed for over 1,000 yards in four of his seven seasons in Dallas. He took his talents to New England in 2023 and had just under 700 yards rushing.
In 120 games played he has 8,904 yards rushing and 71 TDs. He adds 2,649 yards and 14 TDs receiving to those numbers.
He’s shopping for a new team with a less than stellar recent resume to work with.
Smith has played for four different teams, signed briefly with two others, and was last spotted on the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad in late 2023.
He has played in 88 games in the eight seasons since he was drafted. Smith had three good years in his five-year run in Dallas from 2018-20 but has faded since.
He is also shopping for a new team to play for in 2024.
By comparison, Henry has 9,502 yards and 90 TDs in his 119 games in Tennessee. He had 1,493 yards and three TDs receiving during his eight-years with the Titans.
Unlike Elliott, Henry has a starting job in 2024 as a member of the Ravens while the No. 4 overall pick is hunting for a job.
Ramsey is on his third team, as a member of the Miami Dolphins after three-plus seasons in Jacksonville and another three-plus years with the Rams.
He has 118 games under his belt and is a starter for Miami going into 2024.
The Definition Of Insanity
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result, as the saying goes.
That definition has Jerry Jones and the Dallas front office’s pictures next to it. They never had a chance to lure Ramsey to Dallas after passing on him in 2016.
He is still carrying a bit of a grudge for being passed over eight years ago. But they had a legitimate shot at bringing Henry to the roster last month.
With a chance to not make the mistake again, they passed. That was bad enough.
But to not even pick up a phone and make a call to see if something could be worked out?
That’s so much worse.
Tanking In 2024?
Not even reaching out to Henry at all is just one more piece of the puzzle for the front office’s plans for 2024.
Anyone thinking the Cowboys are making moves to get to the Super Bowl this year is in for a bitter disappointment.
Because that isn’t happening. The lack of serious movement on Prescott’s potential extension and McCarthy being left to coach on his final year with a diminished team are clues.
This team does not have the talent it needs to win in the playoffs this year.
And outside of the upcoming draft and the undrafted free agents they sign, help isn’t coming.
The Bills just traded their WR1, Stephon Diggs, to the Texans for a second round draft pick in 2025. The Cowboys couldn’t swing that deal to give Prescott a wealth of targets?
Apparently Dallas had no serious interest in any of the free agent running backs this year.
If they are seriously considering bringing Elliott back it will likely be for a cheap one-year deal. Even then, is Rico Dowdle going to be able to fill Tony Pollard’s role in a running-back-by-committee setup?
The Cowboys made one move on defense to try and help shore up the interior against the run.
But they likely still need help, especially with Johnathan Hankins departure and the questions still hanging over Mazi Smith’s head.
Wasted 2024 Season Ahead?
So the fan base is likely looking at a 2024 season with the best it can hope for is another early playoff exit at best.
But the Cowboys’ current roster doesn’t appear to be a roster that can make the playoffs, much less a playoff game-winning one. And their schedule is not favorable this year.
Since the front office appears to have already checked out on the season, it will be interesting to see how many fans do the same before the season ends.